Nintendo wont allow The Binding of Isaac on the 3DS eShop

[M[u]ddy]

That's already the second time this happens.

In Germany the game has received an age 16+ rating because of potentially blasphemous content.

It's really strange, because you would think the USK would give the game a strong rating for all the violence.

Perhaps the real reason why Nintendo doesn't allow this is that the game is a bit like Zelda?

"A bit"? I've only seen one screenshot of The Binding of Isaac and it's a complete rip off. Even so, I don't believe that's why they refused it. If it had been suggested as a retail title, it would've been released without a hitch. The religious tone is irrelevant because the first Devil Survivor had you gathering an army of demons to fight off Angels with the option to overthrow God. I think the real reason it was refused was because of the style and tone of the game. It has a character called Dr. Fetus in it for crying out loud. The game has content put in there, just like Super Meat Boy, soley for the shock factor. That's likely the real reason it was refused - Nintendo doesn't want that kind of exploitative game on their eShop. Ripping off Zelda is one thing, but ripping of Zelda so you can tell the story that The Binding of Isaac has with the kind of characters it has... That's a very good reason to not allow the game.

The Zelda elements are really just the tip of the iceberg. There is only a few of them, but you immediately see them on screenshots.

 

[iFish]

I cannot say this surprises me at all. This /is/ Nintendo after all.

Not that this is a bad game, but it isn't surprising that they denied it on the eShop.

 

[Foxi4]

I just watched the trailer for that game and I have to say that it really... looks like...

Dementium, Zelda, Super Meat Boy and Bowser's Inside Story decided that they should have blindfolded group sex and in the end, Zelda turned out to be pregnant and nobody knows who's the biological dad of the monstrosity...

Quite disturbing. I feel no urge to play it whatsoever. Not because of the disturbing factor, it just looks a bit... bland. It tries too hard to shock me with imagery and mixing cute with horrid.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

You people are missing the big picture on Binding here. It is a game that openly puts in christian references, and puts them in a bad light. Nintendo does not have a system to stop underaged's from buying it. There is also a gratuitous amount of blood and guts and other various bodily fluids. In short, it's an offensive game to a good chunk of the world. But hey...I don't see Binding on XBL...or on PSN. But I don't see you people complaining about that. You're just looking for a reason to bash on Nintendo.

...Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the enemies just sort of.. explode like standard gaming enemies? Also, there's only one level with guts and stuff, and even then, that level looks like it's spaghetti land.

If anybody is going to be using references to other games Nintendo allowed, Assassin's Creed on the DS. I never played those games, but don't they knock religion and everything pretty bad?

 

[Bladexdsl]

after watching the trailer of this game i'm glad it's not on the 3ds it's just a fucked up SICK game and the only peeps who would enjoy this are also fucked up sick individuals prob into bondage, s&m and all the rest of that satanic sick shit! feeling up witches and bouncing boobs are fun but this is just so wrong...

 

[Ryupower]

Nintendo said NO,
will Sony say, Yes?
Team Meat looking to Sony platforms for Binding of Isaac

 

[KingVamp]

Not sure with Sony, are they more likely to take it?

 

[DJPlace]

nintendo's a bunch of pussy's they want to keep there region off of video games. hello there were unoffical games? also the gameboy version of that book the new testemnt or something (i can't spell bibal for my life3)

 

[FluffyLunamoth]

You people are missing the big picture on Binding here. It is a game that openly puts in christian references, and puts them in a bad light. Nintendo does not have a system to stop underaged's from buying it. There is also a gratuitous amount of blood and guts and other various bodily fluids. In short, it's an offensive game to a good chunk of the world. But hey...I don't see Binding on XBL...or on PSN. But I don't see you people complaining about that. You're just looking for a reason to bash on Nintendo.

...Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the enemies just sort of.. explode like standard gaming enemies? Also, there's only one level with guts and stuff, and even then, that level looks like it's spaghetti land.

If anybody is going to be using references to other games Nintendo allowed, Assassin's Creed on the DS. I never played those games, but don't they knock religion and everything pretty bad?

They explode into blood, I believe most projectiles explode into blood, some things spew urine(absurd amounts of it). Not to mention random fleshbags everywhere, shit everywhere. I'm not saying it offends me, but apart from the small percentage of people on the internet...it would offend quite a good amount of people. Graphically violent games like CoD are only accepted because it's become normal.

 

[ZaeZae64]

Quite a shame it's not coming to the E-shop.
But oh well I've got it on Steam, and I think it's best to stay there, what with the free updates and whatnot.
And not to mention it's like always on sale. but eh.
What're you gonna do

Spoiler

God damn the game is hard as hell, yet I always seem to find myself having so much fun with it. and Some of the music is pretty nice

 

[MarkDarkness]

I think this has less to do with religion and more to do with the fact that this game is disturbing as fuck. I liked Super Meat Boy, despite its half-assed attempt at dark humor which was questionable at best, but this game just goes that extra mile, which is the reason I skipped it back when it was launched on Steam. I'm an atheist, religion bears no significance to me, and still, I would not license this game on a platform I owned the rights to, in the same way I wouldn't license Postal, for example.

 

[Bladexdsl]

there must be some pretty twisted demented fucks working at team meat...

 

[jesterscourt]

This had no chance in hell on being on a Nintendo platform.

 

[Click This]

Not surprised after looking up what the game's about.

 

[Eerpow]

The thing is that this is a downloadable title and not a retail one, so the chances of this game getting in the wrong hands are pretty big.
I don't think that Nintendo want to handle more ridiculous lawsuits involving their name.
I mean, if they sell games like these to under aged boys/girls at the store it's ultimately the store's fault and not Nintendo's .

No! That doesnt make sense at all. Thats like saying some kid finding porn on a computer and sueing the computer company for making a computer that can access those websites. Thats just stupid. Its just nintendo being over protective again, when they dont need to be and I find it kinda disgusting they even stop people releasing games. Customers should be disappointed too. Its not like we're looking forward to anything on the e-shop in particular anyway, and because of this, its no wonder we dont hear of anything else.
I do understand its nintendo's choice at the end of the day, but you dont hear of XBLA/PSN doing it, and notice something? People use them way more than they do for the eshop. Nintendo just need to learn to let people do their own things and not be concerned. Leave the people alone who dont want to play it, and give people the choice to play something they're interested in.
I was hoping nintendo would be evolving this way, but now, seeing this just makes me lose further hope for their digital future. Wii U for that matter too, I bet that'll hardly have anything, cause nintendo will block it all.
I love nintendo for their uniqueness and all, but please, just let people do their own things nintendo. Its a bad sign I've downloaded more things on vitas PSN store in a week (All vita stuff btw) than I have from the eshop (3DS/VC/Ambassador stuff included) for nearly a full year. Nintendo should be asking themselves why is that? Just get support nintendo, you know you need it. Pushing people away wont help

This is Binding of Isaac we're talking about, a game which hasn't even been ESRB rated, a game which probably won't be released on the PSN/XBLA too.
And no, the computer company wouldn't get the blame because companies like Microsoft or Apple doesn't need to approve everything that's on the internet.

If the kid purposely did it, the parent wouldn't be able to file a lawsuit since it was the kid's fault, ok, so let's say that it was an unknown link on a page and the kid clicked it, if the parent was stupid enough to sue the computer company, the computer company would put the blame on the website or the person who posted the link.

That's not how things work with gaming hardware, Nintendo always have to put their seal of approval on things, and if Nintendo were to allow an offensive game on the eShop which many 3DS owners has access to, Nintendo would get in a tight spot sooner or later.

It's not like Sony and Microsoft wouldn't have done the same thing, they've censored religious content too.

EDIT: Fixed some errors and added a final comment

 

[funem]

This is the best review of the game I could find. Watch it all the way to the end.



The game mechanics and its playability are not really in question. The contents would leave Nintendo open to a mass of bad press. They are not foolish enough to want to leave themselves open to this, its bad buisiness. I really cant believe anyone believed there was a remote chance they would make this available as downloadable content where they cant control who downloads it.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

The game mechanics and its playability are not really in question. The contents would leave Nintendo open to a mass of bad press. They are not foolish enough to want to leave themselves open to this, its bad buisiness. I really cant believe anyone believed there was a remote chance they would make this available as downloadable content where they cant control who downloads it.

This would be "leave Nintendo open"? What about MadWorld? It's ultra violent, packed with heavy language and sexual content. That goes for practically any M-rated game on the system.

Or if you wanted something violent with Nintendo's name on it, how about Zangeki no Reginleiv? Where the entire game is based off hacking the limbs off of giant monsters and watching their blood gush everywhere.

Putting one of those "enter your age before viewing this content" thing would pretty much devoid them of backlash. If a kid buys it, so what, they lied about their age. It's not Nintendo's fault, they were doing their best to protect children from such devilish content.

 

[spiritofcat]

The game mechanics and its playability are not really in question. The contents would leave Nintendo open to a mass of bad press. They are not foolish enough to want to leave themselves open to this, its bad buisiness. I really cant believe anyone believed there was a remote chance they would make this available as downloadable content where they cant control who downloads it.

This would be "leave Nintendo open"? What about MadWorld? It's ultra violent, packed with heavy language and sexual content. That goes for practically any M-rated game on the system.

Or if you wanted something violent with Nintendo's name on it, how about Zangeki no Reginleiv? Where the entire game is based off hacking the limbs off of giant monsters and watching their blood gush everywhere.

Putting one of those "enter your age before viewing this content" thing would pretty much devoid them of backlash. If a kid buys it, so what, they lied about their age. It's not Nintendo's fault, they were doing their best to protect children from such devilish content.

But the 'objectionable' content in this game isn't just violence or sex, it's religion!

 

[funem]

The point "leave themselves open" is that this would be available without restiction as a download, the games you quoted are boxed games which should be controlled by the shop selling them. Downloads have no such restrictions.

 

[NekuSoul]

Too bad this gets release on 3DS
But: The Control, who downloads the Game could the same as an retail game, because there's Parental Control on the 3DS, from where every Parent could block all unfitting content. (I assume most Parents dont even know about that). I mean we already have 16+ rated Resi-Trailer on the eShop.