Saints Row has made its own impact on open-world crime games with a ridiculous type of mayhem. There’s no better proof of that than The Penetrator, a large purple sex toy attached to a baseball bat handle.

That was too much for the game rating gurus in Japan, who asked publisher THQ to remove the veins from the weapon. Japan does not allow the “depiction of genital parts” in games so The Penetrator was in violation.

The latest Saints Row installment got the rating of CERO Z, which is Japan’s version of the ESRB’s AO (Adults Only) rating. Even so, officials deemed the weapon in its original form too graphic for impressionable adults to lay eyes on.

This is the same country that introduced tentacle porn to the world, right? Just checking.

Diner Dash was free this past weekend in the App Store. It has since gone back up to $2.99. Diner Dash is a game that depends on your quick reaction skills to get big scores. It’s not just about moving quickly though. It’s about thinking ahead of time to rack up combos that go towards your overall score. For what it is, Diner Dash is great fun. But there’s something about the in-app rating system that concerns me.

An interesting tidbit concerning Call of Duty: Black Ops was revealed by Square Enix today. While Activision and Treyarch’s FPS received a Mature rating in North America and deemed appropriate for gamers ages 17 and up, it’s received a Cero Z rating in Japan. Cero Z is equivalent to the ESRB’s Adults Only rating here, for people over the age of 18. Square Enix made the announcement because it’s responsible for bringing the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops to Japan…

It seems that the situation in Australia concerning video games ratings isn’t getting better any time soon as the debate will be dragged along again by the South Australian Attorney General, Michael Atkinson.

We previously reported that the Australian government was soliciting public opinions concerning an R18 rating for video games. The government released a paper with arguments for and against the new ratings system so people would be informed before casting their vote. This seemed to be a fair and objective method for consulting the Australian population about an issue that affects them but, now, the whole thing will be moot thanks to Michael Atkinson.

Atkinson said that the public consultation isn’t fair and the anticipated overwhelming vote in favor will be biased because only gamers will vote. Additionally, Atkinson said that because he has received death threats and abusive emails he won’t change his posture on the subject…

For many years, Australians have faced a difficult situation regarding content in video games. The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), Australia‘s ratings board, doesn’t provide a rating for games with mature content. The highest rating for video games provided by the OFLC is “MA15+”, which restricts any content deemed not suitable to anyone under 15.

The current ratings system denies a rating to any game with content deemed not suitable for an “MA15+” rating. Any game in this situation is either submitted to modifications or outright banned. This policy has caused an uproar amongst the gamer community but things might be headed for a change this time around.

Australia’s Office of Film Literature Classification (OFLC) unit is making headlines again, denying another game from being released in that nation in its current form.

The Refused Classification (RC) ruling on Vogster Entertainment’s MMO Crimecraft came down November 26, 2009, placing it in the same banned-this-year category as Necrovision, Sexy Poker, Risen and, most notably, Left 4 Dead 2.

Left 4 Dead 2 was subsequently released in an extremely edited version that took much of the violence out of the game. Critical and fan reception for the neutered version has not been kind. Crimecraft received a “Mature” rating from US-based Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Activision is launching a campaign to educate parents about the ESRB ratings system and how to make an informed decision when buying a game for their kids. This campaign, called “Ratings are not a Game”, is backed by Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Activision has created a series of videos where Dr. Olson explains how parents can get involved in the different types of games played by their children. The videos also explain the different ratings of the ESRB and feature child psychologists that talk about the personal and social skills that children can develop by playing certain kinds of games. Engaging in multiplayer matches in certain games can help develop social skills and strategy games can help with problem solving skills. Also, some action games can help with coordination and motor skills.

These videos are a great idea as they help parents in having a better understanding of games and how they can even prove helpful in the right circumstances…

Eidos has a history of shady practices in videogame journalism. We remember the whole Kane and Lynch fiasco over at GameSpot a while back and attempts to get sites to hold off on Tomb Raider: Underworld review scores that were under 80 until Eidos said it was alright to publish.

This overreaching on Eidos’ part has once again turned up according to The RAM Raider.

Eidos is allegedly only looking for the best review scores to be shown first for Batman: Arkham Asylum. As with most unreleased games, a review for Arkham Asylum is under embargo until a certain date but Eidos will supposedly let magazines publish reviews early if they agree to play ball.

The UK’s Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) have just announced a new “traffic light” system to rate video games and offer up for consideration for the UK government before it finishes consulting on video games on November 20, 2008. This new system uses colors and numbers to help parents and guardians instantly decide if a game is appropriate for their children.

This proposed rating system is also inspired by Dr. Tanya Byron, a child psychologist the British Government asked to study children who play video games and use the internet and write a report on. Dr. Byron found parents had trouble understanding the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system. The PEGI system was first established in 2003 and now is the predominant video game rating system in Europe.

Normally I’d be rolling my eyes at the need for a color coded rating system like this, but then I went to look at the PEGI site…

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) hosted a panel discussion at the BAFTA venue in London earlier this week (October 9, 2008) during which a series of church and charity leaders discussed the ways in which video games can be a “force for good in today’s society.”

Mike Royal, the national director of the Lighthouse Group (a charity that specializes in helping young people who have been, or are at risk of being excluded from the school system), noted that games are useful in educating children about “boundaries” and the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

Martin Houghton-Brown, The Children’s Society’s deputy director of new business, explains that children in the United Kingdom now see gaming as a…