Z-rating impact on retail
A quick scout around Tokyo’s famous western shopping district, Shibuya, revealed the following situation regarding Z-rated games, in particular Dead Rising, which was released today.
Bic Camera: No cases on display. No advertising in store. Willing buyers must take a small, non-descript card to the cashier to purchase. Game not present in Z-rated section.
Sakuraya: Poster on display on game floor, but 75% concealed by a Pokemon display. Game boxes on display in small Z-rated section at the back of the floor.
Tsutaya: No cases or advertising at all. It didn’t appear the game was on sale, in fact. The game was not even present in the Z-rated section.
These are the three main retailers that sell games in the area. The new rating system, introduced 1 Mar 2006, means that newly-rated Z games are only for people aged 18 and over. It is, in fact, an offence to sell the game to people younger than that.
Prior to the changes, games were rated “all ages”, 12+, 15+ and 18+, though there were no legalities concerned with selling the games to minors - it was just a guideline. The changes saw new ratings, based on violence, sex, strong language and criminal actions, introduced as follows:
| A | Suitable for all ages |
| B | Suitable for 12 years old and above |
| C | Suitable for 15 years old and above |
| D | Suitable for 17 years old and above |
| Z | Can only be sold to 18 years old and above |
While some previously released titles have been reclassified as Z-rated, Dead Rising is the first new title to receive the rating, inspite of heavy censorship from the US version, including removal of decapitations and dismembered limbs. It’s unfortunate that the game is being handled in this manner, presumably because the stores don’t want to have anything to do with age verification and the legal issues that may ensue if they are deceived by a minor.
What is more unnerving, however, is the impact this will have on the industry in general. Will grotesque games be cancelled at the concept stage on the grounds of poor sales? A game that has been a sparkling hit in the US is now receiving next to no promotion in its home country - the repercussions must surely be noticeable when next week’s sales data is released. Some future releases for the Xbox 360 have already received tentative Z-ratings, including Riot Act and D3 Publisher’s Oneechanbara vorteX. I wonder if the publishers are watching how Capcom’s first attempt at a Z-rated title goes.
September 29th, 2006 at 8:15 am
I find it ironic that someone who is 17 is magically deemed suitable for a Z-rated game immediately upon his/her 18th birthday. Ratings systems are ridiculous, especially one such as this with so many different ratings. As for concealing the games to a small “Z Section,” what’s wrong with just asking for I.D. rather than limiting a game’s approachability and sales?
In the U.S. at least it’s similar in terms of age classification, and buying an M-rated title is just a matter of showing identification.
Anyway, who rates the games / how are they rated in Japan?
October 4th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
It must be frustrating for Capcom to have heavily censored the JP version and still received a Z-rating; they may as well have left all the content in there. It remains to be seen whether this will affect Capcom’s rumored sequel plans. Perhaps next time (DR2) the JP market will receive a version of the game with just the toy swords and waterguns in it.
Making Z-rated titles invisible at retail is hardly going to help expand the Japanese domestic gaming market either. Hopefully this is just an initial rushed reaction, and eventually retailers may find smarter and less self-defeating ways to deal with new regulation.
July 14th, 2007 at 12:41 am
I remember when the rating system was started in the U.S. It was created to protect our freedom from parents that claimed they had no way of knowing what was in the game content when they bought the game JR wanted for his birthday, only to find the game covered in blood and gore. There is no law in the U.S. preventing any one from buying a M rated game. At least for the time being. It all depends on the store policy, some stores will not sell an M title to any one under 18 to cover themselves. But the sad thing is some parents do not care when they should. When I worked at a game store, we were required to tell parents about M rated game content when they had a small child in tow. I would say things like “in this game you sell drugs, interact with ladies of the night, kill them, and get your money back when your done with them.” The mother would look at her 9 year old and say it’s O.K. and gets the kid the game. I’m all for freedom in buying power and I feel that it is up to the parent to monitor there kids and not blame the industry when there kid goes and gets into trouble.