Sony imposes stricter rules on sexually explicit material in PS4 games

Sony to enforce stricter rules for sexually explicit material in PlayStation 4 games. The company is said to have made this decision in response to the growing #metoo movement, as well as concerns about becoming the target of legal action and negative attention.

Sony has established its own guidelines for sexually explicit material in PS4 games. These are stricter than the ratings and age labels such as PEGI and ESRB used by other game hardware manufacturers. A Sony spokeswoman confirmed this to the Wall Street Journal. However, it is not yet clear what the new guidelines will entail and when they will come into effect.

According to Sony, the new rules allow developers to create “well-balanced content” and prevent “gaming from being an obstacle to the healthy development of young people.” The Sony spokeswoman said the decision was made due to the rise of the #metoo movement and growing concerns about how women are portrayed in certain games. At the same time, the measures should prevent Sony from being held financially liable at some point for content that goes beyond the mark.

“Sony is concerned that the company may be the target of legal or social action,” the spokeswoman said in the Wall Street Journal. According to Engadget, especially in Japan and a few other countries, there are quite a few ‘spicy’ games circulating that could cause Sony problems, should they appear in countries where, for example, the #metoo movement can count on a lot of support.

The question is what game developers think of Sony’s new guidelines. With the Xbox One or the PC platform, there are currently fewer restrictions with regard to sexually oriented material.