Remember back in June, when I suggested that an adult content toggle would be a quick and easy way to improve hardcore games? I didn’t think so. Regardless, it seems that I may soon get my wish. WhatTheyPlay is reporting that Gears of War 2 will, to some degree, filter out both violence and language just by flipping a switch:
Gears of War 2 will be released on November 7, but has already received an “M” rating from the ESRB, for “Blood and Gore,” “Intense Violence,” and “Strong Language.” For many families, that may immediately eliminate it as a possibility as a holiday gift. However, a new point of negotiation will become a factor this year; Gears of War 2 includes filters for both the violence, and the language. Microsoft informs us that the violence filter “turns the blood into sparks,” while the language filter “takes out all the swear words.”
While the language filter is quite welcome, WhatTheyPlay implies that the violence filter is little more than a way to remove visible blood from the title, and suggests that the game’s particularly violent actions — such as sawing enemies in half with the protagonist’s machinegun-mounted-chainsaw — will likely make it past the filter.
When reached for clarification, a Microsoft representative confirmed the existence of both language and gore filters, but would not reveal further details at this time.
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