Always a contentious issue in the annuals of gaming history, the subject of ‘mature’ video game content has recently divided the head honchos at Microsoft, who were disputing whether their new Windows Store should host popular yet more explicit titles.
Microsoft initially got themselves in something of a pickle over the subject, at first maintaining the stance in their Windows App guide that they would not allow any apps with a mature rating, with a score over PEGI16 or ESRB Mature or the equivalent.
This essentially meant that certain titles would be available to purchase in the USA through the Windows 8 store but would be prohibited under the company’s UK blanket ban for simply being deemed ‘mature’ content – thereby, having a huge impact on the numerous popular titles that fall under this umbrella, including games like Call of Duty, Max Payne and Assassin’s Creed.
However after a review of their decision, to the inevitable relief of gaming aficionados everywhere, the computer giants have recently reversed their stance and notified the tech sphere that these video games will in fact be available in the Windows Store worldwide.
Those various titles that have received the ESRB’s ‘Adult’ stamp, however, are still unavailable. Considering this rating is usually reserved for content bordering on the pornographic, one would imagine the constriction doesn’t inhibit too many titles that most gamers would put on their Christmas list.
Now before gamers boasting new Windows operating system go rushing to the store, it’s worth noting that these updates are unlikely to come into effect before December.Though the impatient few may find this a frustrating wait, Antoine Leblond, Microsoft corporate vice president of web services told tech news site Gizmodo that it’s solely a means to an end: “This is to give developers a heads up that that’s where we’re going, so they can have the peace of mind around developing the kinds of games that will have those ratings.”
While these sorts of games may no longer make up the list of absentees in the Windows 8 store, there is still a pronounced number of popular apps that didn’t make themselves available for its launch date. Amongst the 3000 apps available thus far, ever internationally popular apps like Facebook and Twitter can’t be found among the selection just yet, but one imagines their inclusion will only be a matter of time.
Compared to behemoth of an app store Apple has built up over the last few years, naturally there is still a long way to go for Windows. But with the upcoming addition of mature content games as a start – and given that Windows 8 will be the operating system on millions of new PCs worldwide soon – there is incredible scope for Microsoft’s new marketplace.
[Photo Credit - Flickr User DJOtaku]
