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Daily Mail and The Sun Round on Sega’s MadWorld

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

August 13, 2008

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“I hope the British Board of Film Classification will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification"

The Daily Mail has labeled Sega’s MadWorld ‘the most violent game ever’ to appear on Nintendo's Wii, and claimed that it will 'dramatically transform' the console's image as a family-friendly system.

Due for release in March 2009, the PlatinumGames developed Wii exclusive uses the Remote and Nunchuk to literally slice and dice through opponents with street signs, chainsaws and assorted weapons.

“The objective is to kill opponents as creatively as possible to earn more points, which can be used to purchase new weapons and mini-games,” Sega of America product marketing manager Mitsue Nakagaki told us last month.

Now certain sections of the mainstream British press have picked up on the game’s existence and gone on the attack, claiming MadWorld will ruin the Wii’s ‘innocent’ image.

“This game sounds very unsavory,” John Beyer, director of pressure group Mediawatch-UK, told the Daily Mail.

“I hope the British Board of Film Classification will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification.

“Without that it cannot be marketed in Britain. What the rest of world does is up to them. We need to ensure that modern and civilized values take priority rather than killing and maiming people.

“It seems a shame that the game's manufacturer have decided to exclusively release this game on the Wii," he added. "I believe it will spoil the family fun image of the Wii.”

A Nintendo spokesperson told the Mail, “Mad World will be suitably age rated through the appropriate legal channels and thus only available to an audience above the age rating it is given,” adding that the Wii “appeals to a wide range of audiences” from children and teenagers to adults and senior citizens.

The Sun has also run an article on the game, offering the headline, ‘Wii faces killing game rap.’ The publication refers to MadWorld as ‘ultra-violent’ and claims that the title ‘looks set to wreck the popular console’s family-friendly image’.

We've contacted Sega for response to the comments reported in this article.

[UPDATE] "Mad World features fantasy violence in a cartoon environment, aimed at a distinct 18+ audience," said Sega In a statement issued to Edge-Online.

"Sega publishes videogames for people of all ages," the company added. "Games are rated externally by the appropriate legal body. Sega fully supports this system which ensures games aimed at an adult audience are rated as such."

Pascal_Clarysse's picture
On August 14th Pascal_Clarysse said:

They are so right. Since Tarantino's Kill Bill came out, it ruined the reputation of theatres as a family venue.

SaintJude's picture
On August 14th SaintJude said:

The problem is that games are not taken seriously. As a result, someone with no knowledge of computer games will write the articles. I’ve worked in a few publications and it is ridiculous. The amount of research that goes into writing about games is non-existent compared to any other medium. With no real research or thought behind these articles is it really any surprise they all sound so dim-witted?

Sabrewulf's picture
On August 14th Sabrewulf said:

Aaaaaaah! Oh my god these papers infuriate me and the bandwagons they create for every moron to jump onto! Like you guys have been saying it's not as if this is going to come through the letter-box free of charge to every household with a Wii! (although that would be hilarious)

Have they not played Scarface & Resident Evil? It's pretty violent out there already if you want to find it!

Iain_Critien's picture
On August 14th Iain_Critien said:

It is astonishing that mature games should apparently be banned on the Wii. When did it become a toy for the under-12s? (Well, I can actually hear the cynics crying out that the E3 Wii Music 'Pop Goes The Weasel' incident may have done that, but I digress....)

The Wii should be admired for the way it has worked its way into the casual market, but to say that it should only cater for that audience is totally misguided. The backlash against Grand Theft Auto 4 was depressingly predictable, and perhaps we should have expected the same on Mad World as a game in itself. But to propose that because this is on the Wii every child, impressionable teenager and elderly relative will end up playing it is infuriating.

For the 'hardcore gamers' Mad World is one of very few rays of light in the Wii release schedule. To think that its release may be in jeopardy for the sake of column inches is a sad prospect indeed. After all, they have at least another 6 months to bombard the BBFC and PEGI.

Deerock's picture
On August 14th Deerock said:

This just in- People will be forced to BUY and PLAY Mad World if they own a Wii. You heard it here FIRST, folks! Their eyelids will be forced open, and saline drops will moisten their eyes as women, children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents, dogs and cats have ROBOTS force their fingers to push buttons, and WIZARDS will make them do all the arm gesturing from the comfort of their barcalounger! RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!

Dan_Chippendale's picture
On August 13th Dan_Chippendale said:

give me strength! Read a very similar article in London's 'Metro' today... It's unbelievable how these reporters make out that the wii is the sole domain of the friggin family game market.. WHAT ABOUT US!? We're hardcore fans that stuck with nintendo through the 'Purple years' and now its as though we never existed.. I actually hope that this game does ruin the wii's family friendly reputation and we start to see some other systems games in the charts... The UK does my head in sometimes.. press, journalists, media... just stop being so god dam stupid!

toadwarrior's picture
On August 13th toadwarrior said:

This isn't really a surprise. Both are aimed at brain dead work class scum who can't think for themselves. They can say anything they want, lie even, and their loyal but dim fanbase will lap it up.