Nothing like some good ol' fashioned censorship to wake up to on a Thursday morning. Last night, game streaming platform Twitch updated its Rules of Conduct to ban the streaming of titles rated "Adults Only" by the ESRB.
The sudden, surprising move comes just days ahead of the June 1st release of Destructive Creations' controversial shooter Hatred, which is just the second game ever to receive an AO rating for its violent content and themes.
For those unfamiliar, Hatred is an extremely violent twin-stick shooter that puts you in the shoes of a mass-murdering sociopath filled with hatred for humanity. In the game, you go on a massive killing spree, murdering just about anyone you see.
Because of the controversial nature of AO-rated games, many retailers tend to refrain from selling games branded with it. Even on Steam it was temporarily removed before being reinstated (and is now available for purchase). However, GOG, another digital distribution store, refuses to sell it.
Although Twitch didn't specifically mention Hatred by name in their blog post, they do mention the change in policy was sparked by "emerging issues in the video game industry."
Hatred's extremely violent premise has taken the gaming industry by storm, and the controversy it has generated has sparked some unfair criticism — especially when you consider what the gaming industry does deem appropriate. Twitch is just the latest to overreact.
Here's the site's full statement, with a later edit for clarity included in italics:
"Edit for Clarity:
If a game’s US version is rated Adults Only by the ESRB, you should not broadcast that game on Twitch. However, ESRB rated Mature versions of Adults Only titles are permitted for streaming, such as Mature versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy.
Games rated 18+ by other rating systems are fine to stream, so long as they are not rated AO by the ESRB, and they don’t violate the standard language of our RoC and ToS.
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Our goal at Twitch is to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive community platform where everyone can feel comfortable and have fun. From time to time, we update our Rules of Conduct (RoC) in pursuit of this goal and to match emerging issues in the video game industry.
Previously, we made game-specific decisions about which games would and would not be available for broadcast – sometimes due to overtly sexual content, sometimes due to gratuitous violence. This is unsustainable and unclear, generating only further confusion among Twitch broadcasters. We would like to make this policy as transparent as possible.
Today, we’re updating the RoC with regard to Adult Only (AO) games. Simply put, AO games are not welcome on Twitch. Please refer to the ESRB’s Ratings Guide and list of Adults Only games for more information.
While the ESRB ratings apply exclusively to US titles, our policy extends to versions of these games inall territories. Generally, if the US version is rated for Adults Only (18+) or has an equivalent rating in your territory, you should not broadcast that game on Twitch.
The RoC is a living document that we update regularly based on community feedback and industry developments. We would appreciate your feedback, too."
