Since the dawn of computer games, violence has always been an issue. After we've seen several recent initiatives to ban violent games in the US, Gamespot reports that even liberal-minded Japan is now going to crack down on allegedly harmful games for the first time. Although 350,000 units of Grand Theft Auto III have been sold in Japan since its release in September 2003, the Kanagawa region south of Tokyo will ban the game's sale to minors effective June 7.
Last week, Kanagawa governor Shigefumi Matsuzawa told the press that his prefecture was planning to halt sales of the game to minors because "its setting is very similar to real society, and its level of violence and cruelty is extremely high."
Matsuzaka also said that "unlike videos and movies, games allow users to participate as the main character, and it creates an illusion of reality."
According to Mainichi Shinbun, GTAIII will have to be displayed apart from other software in Kanagawa stores, and those who sell it to minors under the age of 18 will be forced to pay a fine of up to 300,000 yen ($2,776).
Read the complete article on Gamespot.com
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