Walter Veltroni, the Mayor of Rome, has taken a stand against Rule of Rose.
“There is no way that a violent video game should be sold and distributed in our country, this game must not enter Italian homes,” said Veltroni. Rule of Rose, a psychological horror game that takes place in an orphanage, is known to contain some suggestive sexual scenes involving school girls. Published by Sony in Japan, Atlus picked up the distribution rights for North America after the console maker opted out. Surprisingly, the response in North America has remained tepid since the game hit shelves in September.
The Mayor of Rome doesn’t want to expose children to Rule of Rose, citing the violence rather than the erotic content. “Our youngsters are living through difficult times, with violence present on a daily basis in all the media,” he said. “Small children have the right to be shielded from violence.”
His opinion didn’t end with the game, he’s no fan of the developers either. “I think those who create and make such games must have perverse minds.”
Corrado Buonanna, the head of Sony’s Italian division, made sure it was clear that Sony washed their hands of the game completely. “Probably, the sense of what’s acceptable in Japan and what’s acceptable in Europe are different so our Japanese division did not feel the need to block this game’s production and distribution on its own market,” he said. “But from our point of view, this game is unsuitable for the Italian and European public because of its content. That is why we have decided not to sell it here.”
Source: Life in Italy
