EA Exec criticizes Japanese rating board after Stellar Blade goes uncensored

While gaming fans are happy to know that Stellar Blade will be uncensored in all countries, including Japan, an EA executive has recently questioned this decision. EA Japan's General Manager Sean Noguchi criticized the Japanese rating board for allowing Stellar Blade to feature uncensored content and highlighted the move as a double standard in connection to the Japanese release of EA's Dead Space.

This article will dive deeper into why the EA exec called out Stellar Blade for having no censorship.

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EA Japan's executive raises questions over zero censorship for Stellar Blade in Japan

Sean Noguchi recently shared several posts regarding Stellar Blade receiving zero censorship ahead of its global launch, including in Japan. The executive questioned the Japanese rating board CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization) while asking the reason for keeping Shift Up's title uncensored.

Noguchi stated that EA's Dead Space was banned in Japan due to elements of excessive violence but the PlayStation 5 exclusive has been rated without any cuts whatsoever. Here's exactly what he wrote, translated by IGN:

"What’s going on CERO? The Stellar Blade demo was really fun and absolutely action packed. However, CERO, you denied our Dead Space a rating because it included cross-sections of severed body parts and internal organs, but here we have both cross-sections and insides on display passed off with a CERO D rating. I find this hard to accept."

The EA executive tried to explain how Dead Space was not even rated due to featuring cross-sections of damaged body parts and internal organs but SB has been approved for a release in Japan, despite having similar elements, with a CERO D rating.

A still from a combat scene in the upcoming PS5 exclusive from Shift Up

For those unaware, a CERO D rating implies that players aged 17 and above can buy a video game. It's the second strictest rating in Japan after CERO Z, intended for users aged 18 and above.

Noguchi's comments came after the official X account of SB revealed that the game will have fully uncensored content in all the countries at launch.

That said, Noguchi clarified that he has no issues with SB not getting censored. His only concern was regarding the Japanese rating board's criteria to judge games based on extreme graphic elements. Here's what he wrote (translated from Japanese using Google Translate):

"Just to avoid any misunderstandings, I would like to add one thing... I have no ill will towards Stellar Blade itself; in fact, it was fun so you should buy it! This is purely a complaint about the vagueness of the review process in Japan, but there are plenty of examples of the same vagueness that is rampant in the review process for other titles."

Shift Up's action-adventure title is set for a global debut on April 26, 2024, for PlayStation 5.

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