I can´t say if the UK version is censored more or less than the Benelux version. Only the developer knows for sure.

There can be many different country versions of a game look at Fifa for example. I don´t know if what is on the DVD is really different though for the different country versions. Just the setting of software settings (switches/indicators/flags) would make more sense per country version, allowing DVD game content to be accessible or not. The same way that extra DLC items are sometimes already on a game DVD but only accessible after a switch has been set.

The USA and Japan use NTSC TV system DVD´s. In Europe (including UK) it is the PAL TV system. So I doubt that you will be able to buy a console USA NTSC version in a Dutch store because a European market PAL TV would generally not support NTSC. For a PC game of course this NTSC issue would not be applicable.

Next to that there are different ways the censorship is being handled for consoles specifically. There could be different DVD versions per country, with content cut or altered per country version. This would require extra work for the developer with many DVD images and software versions. A different approach could be one single game DVD for all countries but with content turned `on` or `off` depending on the current IP address or the country code of you console, meaning the country you are currently playing the game in. This - according to some - is the direction developers are going to take in the future, which I really don´t hope!

That would really be bad news, because that means that the accessible game content on your game DVD would change depending on where you are playing it (IP address or console country code). For instance GOW1 and GOW2 are not allowed to be sold in the FRG. And the COD5 DLC´s are censored - ostensibly ´for the youth only´- in the FRG, even if you have bought and paid for them when your console was in the NL or when you played on a Dutch game console. For instance at the moment USA armed forces personnel that have bought COD5 console DLC in the USA cannot re-download this DLC at a base in the FRG, even though they have already paid for it!

A developer could also be instructed by Microsoft to not allow a console game DVD or some DLC to be played in country X if that game/DLC is censored in country X. The EU commission could instruct Microsoft and Sony to operate this way. That would mean that your GOW1/2 game console DVD would function when you have a Dutch game console or when you are when you are in the NL (IP address), but it would then not function in the FRG. And the same would then apply to your DLC.

In that case it really would not matter in what country you buy your console game DVD.

At the moment, thankfully, to my knowledge this is not implemented and hopefully it never will be.

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In Dutch - Of er verschillen zijn tussen de Benelux versie en de VK (UK) versie is mij niet bekend, dat is nou juist het probleem.

De VSA versie is NTSC en die kunnen wij niet op onze PAL systemen afspelen. De Benelux versie herken je zo, daar staat zowel tekst in het NL als in het FR op de achterzijde, voor NL, Vlaanderen en Wallonië dus. Het VK (UK) heeft zijn eigen versie, net als de BRD. Oostenrijk heeft volgens mij tezamen met Zwitserland ook weer een eigen versie. Niemand publiceert wat per land gecensureerd wordt, vandaar mijn vraag aan de ontwikkelaar. Hier in de BRD is het echt een probleem. Mensen kopen daarom nu bij voorkeur over de grens om die reden. Waanzin!

Bijna elk land heeft een zogenaamde `jeugdkeuring´ en die bepalen wat wel en niet `in de winkel` voor verkoop mag liggen en waarvoor reclame gemaakt mag worden. Volwassenen mogen zogenaamd wel altijd alles kopen, maar als het product niet in de winkel mag liggen en er ook geen reclame voor gemaakt mag worden weet je niet dat het bestaat en zal je het als volwassene dan ook niet kopen. Officieel heeft dit geen censuur, maar officieus en praktisch bezien is het wel degelijk censuur die zowel voor de jeugd als voor volwassenen geldt.

Het hakenkruis is in NL overigens niet verboden, in COD5 Benelux is het dan ook niet gecensureerd bijvoorbeeld.

Wat vervelender is zijn eventuele subtiele `onder de motorkap` wijzigingen. Deze zijn veel moeilijker waar te nemen dan visuele zaken en grijpen op spel functionaliteit en werking in, zoals in het nieuwe PC spel HOI3 bijvoorbeeld.

For all the censorship and general banning of stuff going on in Germany, it's no suprise you guys still have problems with Neonazi groups - the censorship and banning actually helps them blend in with society.

Sucks that it extends to games too.

We shouldn't whitewash history unless we want to repeat it. Hopefully the German version of the game is the same as the others.

it's probably the same version, just with german voice-overs on EVERYTHING.

I asked anton why all swastikas have been removed from the game, and he said it was because of censorship rules, not just in germany...

Although I understand he doesn't want to offend evryone, I still tink it's bullcrap the rest of the world has to play this game without swastikas just because of the germans, while other games like call of duty have lots o' swastika's...

@ Widar:

uhh...ever heard of region free ps3 games? I have imported atleast 3 games from Renchi,based in Hong Kong and got asian/chinese versions of some games that never got a western release (yet)These are Aquanaut's Holiday,Hakuna Matata/Afrika and Demon's Souls.
I also have the US version a couple of games can't even remember wich, i believe Fight Night 4 amongst others. I have a European PS3 (bought in a dutch store) They all play without any problems what so ever. ALL ps3 games are region free and will play on ANY PS3...Blu ray and dvd on the other hand are region locked. I don't know about the 'locked content' thing you speak of,but i guess ignorance is bliss in that case!!! I think that UK and Benelux versions will probably be the same...the only country in europe that 's notorious for censorship is Germany..I'll take my chances with any version i run into in the dutch gamestores.

Thanks,though for your very detailed and elaborated post,Translated and all!! :grin: very nice! I appreciate it! You from Holland too,or did you use a google translator?

In Dutch: Alle ps3 spellen zijn regio vrij.Ik heb minstens drie titels geimporteerd uit Hong Kong en heb een aantal US versies gekocht in mijn vaste gamewinkeltje!. Ze spelen zonder enkel probleem op mijn europese ps3 (gekocht in Nederland).Dus om kort te gaan: ELK spel speelt op willekeurig WELKE ps3. Blu-ray en DVD zijn wel regio locked.Dat van de 'locked content per regio hoor ik nu eigenlijk voor het eerst,maar in dat geval: wat niet weet,wat niet deert,toch? Eigenlijk denk ik dat de UK versie en de Benelux versie wel het zelfde zullen zijn,volgens mij is Duitsland zo ongeveer het enige land in Europa dat zo debiel doet over censuur. Ik waag het er op als ik mijn schijfje morgen ga halen bij de lokale game boer! Kom je toevallig ook uit nederland of heb je er een vertaler overheen gegooid? Hoe dan ook:

Bedankt voor je gedetailleerde en uitgebreide mail,vertaald en al! Dat waardeer ik zeer!:-D

^Whoops..never mind! I just reread your topic (first post) and saw you where talking about xbox 360 version..my bad! The ps3 however can and will play all versions of all games on any ps3 system.

Before this post sidetracks into a `lets bash the German common man` for 1945 censorship laws which the German common man really has no way of changing or influencing, I must set something straight.

This post is just about a question to 1C/Anton about the difference between the Benelux and the FRG BOP version in terms of censorship that is all. I just want to know what I buy before I buy it. I just bought HOI3 and the FRG version has been thoroughly self-censored by the game developer to avoid official censorship and I want to avoid this with BOP should that also be the case.

So let´s not change this post into blaming a people for a government and the laws they have to live under and then state that that people is the cause for worldwide game censorship. People get born in a country and from day one they must obey laws they never drew up themselves and pay lifelong taxes on account of huge government debts they themselves had no part in making and that they will never be able to pay off. Let´s not blame the common man or a people for any of it.

The removing of symbols, names and other items in games worldwide generally has nothing to do with `youth health protection` censorship in the FRG specifically.

In the USA there is also a `youth health protection` scheme. The director of Battlefront games in the USA explained on his website forum a few years ago why he took certain symbols, names and other items out of his USA only release Combat Mission game because of the ´youth health protection´ measures in the USA. The fact is that under the guise, pretext or whatever you want to call it of rubber paragraph´youth health protection´, the censor can say that a game, book, cd or whatever is dangerous to the health of a child. Then that product may not be publicly advertised and not sold in public places (stores and the like). Which in effect means bankruptcy for a small or medium size game developer.

No game developer wants this to happen to his product obviously. So game developers censor themselves and leave stuff out of their game in advance to avoid getting hit by the `youth health protection´ censors worldwide. Some game developers are more brave than others in this respect or are almost immune to censorship like COD and GTA because of the big money and influence behind them.

Bedankt voor je antwoord. Ik ben ook een kaaskop! Vertalen via Google zou nooit goed gaan, dat levert hele vreemde teksten op, dus alles zelf geschreven.

Dat van die PS3 regio vrije spelversies e.d. wist ik niet. Ik heb nl. geen PS3. Kennelijk hebben ze dat bij de PS3 wel mooi geregeld, zo ik begrijp beter dan bij de Xbox 360. Zo leer ik elke dag weer iets nieuws!

Ik hoop dat die lui van 1C antwoord geven op mijn vraag, maar ik denk het niet. Jammer want dan moet ik hem maar op laten sturen uit NL en kan ik weer meer dan een week wachten op BOP...

Ik vond het zelf ook een aangename verrassing hoor toen ik hoorde van de regiovrije games. het is wel prettig moet ik zeggen,want er zijn wel wat japanse pareltjes te scoren via import die nooit of nauwelijks een europese release krijgen.

On topic: Ik zou als ik jou was beter een weekje wachten en zeker weten dat je een goede (relatief ongecensureerde) versie van Bop krijgt,dan dat je later spijt hebt van je duitse versie..(ik heb wel es gehoord dat sommige duitse versies van games GROEN bloed hebben,ipv rood? kom op,zeg. dat is toch gewoon sneu? )magoed, ik begrijp je dilemma,want ik zou er ook wat voor over hebben om Bop NU in mijn gretige klauwtjes te hebben! :-P

Ook nog maar even in engels zodat andere mensen ons ook begrijpen :-P (verkorte versie)

English: If i where you i'd wait a week and get UK or benelux version (that would have 'less'censorship,if there is any difference in the first place). I feel your pain though,because i'd give My Kingdom for a horse..errr copy of IL-2 Bop NOW!!!!

If you have an HD TV the PAL / NTSC issue won't affect you. HD resolutions (both interlaced and progressive) are standard worldwide. Obviously they can also display lower resolutions such as NTSC (480) and PAL (576). :wink:

RIGHT ON ! I couldn't agree more ! History is History.
Desode