International Censorship Extends With Diablo III
Blizzard's game library might not be the first collection that you think of when it comes to video games that need to be censored for content, but it turns out that the international censorship applied to World of Warcraft will be extended to Diablo III. A Wired.com interview with Diablo III lead designer Jay Wilson shed some light on the subject, ironically titled "Why Designer of Gory Diablo III Lets His Daughter Play." Wilson says Blizzard will have to change the more violent aspects of the game, including all the blood, if the company hopes to release the long-awaited RPG in German and Australian game markets.
When it comes to China, the game might not even get a chance, according to an answer Wilson gave to Wired.com in the interview:
We could have a lot of trouble with China, yes, but it would be our goal to go there. We haven’t decided what regions we’re going into, obviously. It certainly would be our goal to go there, but we will struggle to go to China.
He says the Diablo III team received a "lengthy list" of requirements that would have to be met for the game to be released in China; but if it turns out that the development team would have to "redo so much of the game that it’s not viable anymore," they won't even bother, according to the interview.