Shaun Noguchi, the general manager of EA Japan, voiced his frustration with the Japanese ratings board, CERO, on X. He criticized CERO’s inconsistency in their ratings, comparing the unreleased Dead Space remake, which CERO refused to rate due to its graphic content, to Stellar Blade, which received a CERO D rating despite featuring similar gore.
The post in which he shows his frustration can be found below. Once you click, on it and see it on X, you would be able to see the screenshots he shared.
誤解を招かないよう一言追加ですが…
ステラーブレイド自体に対して悪意は全くありません
むしろ面白かったので買ったほうがいいです！
これは純粋に日本での審査の曖昧さについて不満を述べたものなので他のタイトルでも審査で蔓延る「曖昧さ」はいっぱい事例はあげられます— EA 野口ショーン (@SeptillionGames) April 21, 2024
Noguchi shared screenshots from the Stellar Blade demo that included severed limbs and visible internal organs, questioning why Dead Space was banned for similar content. He pointed out the visible cross-sections and insides in Stellar Blade, challenging CERO’s decision by highlighting the apparent discrepancy in standards.
The EA Japan executive expressed his enjoyment of the Stellar Blade demo, acknowledging its action-packed gameplay. However, his main grievance remained with CERO’s decision to deny Dead Space a rating, which prohibits the sale of the console version in Japan.
In Japan, games must be reviewed and rated by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) before they can be sold. Stellar Blade was approved with a CERO D rating, indicating that it is not suitable for players under 17 without parental consent, Dead Space did not receive a rating, leading to its ban.
