South Korea Bans Ghost Recon 2

The Media Rating Board of South Korea has refused to approve the release of Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon 2, claiming that the storyline within the game goes "way too far". The story is set in the near future, and revolves around a conventional war on the Korean peninsula. Since North Korea is still technically at war with the South, the story was seen as too provocative and insensitive. Oddly enough, both sides of the conflict in Korea are angered by the game, since a Government-affiliated North Korean newspaper made its feelings on Ghost Recon 2 shortly after the game was first revealed at this year’s E3, claiming: "Through propaganda, entertainment and movies, [Americans] have shown everyone their hatred for us. This may be just a game to them now, but a war will not be a game for them later. In war, they will only face miserable defeat and gruesome deaths." Due to the high penetration of broadband access in South Korea, Microsoft has long seen the country as one of the most important markets in East Asia, despite the current domination of the market by Sony. This makes Xbox Live-enabled games such as Ghost Recon 2 particularly important, and its absence will be missed.