Microsoft most likely to deny Privates on XBL

Privates is one indie game that will not be making it to the Xbox Live. But Zombie Cow intended to make it an educational one, right? Supposedly. But apparently, Microsoft isn’t taking too well the fact that the entire game is set inside… well… privates.

Privates is one indie game that will not be making it to the Xbox Live. But Zombie Cow intended to make it an educational one, right? Supposedly. But apparently, Microsoft isn’t taking too well the fact that the entire game is set inside… well… privates.

“This game has not been submitted to our pre-publication peer review process, and it has not been approved for distribution on Xbox Live Indie Games,” said Microsoft. “We have guidelines in place that closely track requirements of content ratings boards worldwide, and among other things, prohibit the publication of strong sexual content.

While we haven’t seen this game, we can confirm that if it is consistent with the description we have seen on the Internet, this game would not pass peer review and would not be permitted to be distributed on Xbox Live.”

Meanwhile, the founder of the British firm that developed Privates, Dan Marshall, defends the game, saying that it could indirectly be used to promote safe sex. In fact, he says they wrote it in compliance with the Personal, Social and Health Education guidelines of Britain’s National Curriculum.

“The whole thing is essentially aimed at teenage boys. That said, w’ere doing it in an entertaining, funny way, so it’s approachable by people of all ages. It’s a really interesting project.”

Interesting seems to fail in describing this game, based on what I’ve been hearing. And the devs seem to know this too as they don’t seem too bothered about the possibility of Microsoft blocking it on XBL.

“There was always going to be a risk it won’t pass Peer Review, but obviously we’ll do whatever we can to get the Xbox version out. It’d be a shame if a huge number of teenagers missed out on some quality gaming and vital education because of some abstract, cellular-level innards and pubic hairs.

The feedback I’ve had so far suggets it shouldn’t be a huge problem, and I’m sure the guys doing the peer review will judge it fairly and accordingly based on a thorough playthrough of the game. Although the content nudges the boundaries of the XBIG terms, I’m pretty sure we’re acceptably within them — particularly when the educational value of the title becomes apparent.

When we’ve got a beta build, we’ll talk to Microsoft about it and see what they say, but it’s a little too early to start worrying about that sort of thing now.”

And anyway, regardless of whether or not Microsoft gives it the green light for XBL, it’ll see be released for free on the PC by Channel 4.

Via [VG247]