Mafia Boobs Censored In Japan

In the Western version of crime game Mafia II, there are vintage copies of Playboy as collectible items. The game even tracks how long players stare at the centerfolds. Cut that time in half for Japan.

The first image is from the Western version of Mafia II and is free of nudity. Other centerfolds, however, do depict the Playmates sans clothes. However, the Japanese version of the game features heavily censored versions of the centerfolds. Ugly black bars block out nudity.

The game is rated “Mature” (18-years-old-and-up) in the U.S., while the game is also rated “Z” (18-and-up) in The Land of the Rising Sun.

Oddly, the Japanese version of the magazine – which ceased publication in 2009 – featured nudity, but was not typically stocked in the “adult” section of bookstores. This is because, like many Japanese men’s magazines, it featured nudity, but not enough to be dubbed straight-up pornography. Perhaps people actually read the articles?

This censoring seems to be an issue with the Japanese game rating board. Kotaku is following up with the game’s publisher for clarification.

日本版『Mafia II』の乳首規制やっつけすぎワロタ [はちま起稿]