Popular Game Balatro Removed From Sale In Certain Regions Following Questionable Rating Alteration
The highly anticipated game Balatro unexpectedly vanished from certain online stores without prior notice, sparking controversy over the legitimacy of the altered ratings.
The popular roguelike card game, Balatro, has been removed from certain online stores because of a sudden change in ratings overnight.
Mostly affecting EU stores like the Nintendo eShop and PSN Store, the problem has not impacted the game's availability on Steam according to publisher PlayStack. The company believes that the issue stems from a ratings board unexpectedly changing Balatro's age rating from 3+ to 18+. The board mistakenly thought the game contained gambling imagery and content that teaches about gambling, without giving any warning beforehand.
PlayStack clarified that it does not support or permit gambling and disagrees with the ratings decision. They had discussed this issue with the ratings board in October and received a 3+ rating instead of 18+.
The developer confirmed that the game will be available for purchase again, possibly with a temporary 18+ rating until the issue is resolved. It is still being sold on digital stores in the United States.
Another game, Sunshine Shuffle, faced a temporary ban in some markets last year because it featured a mix of cute animals and poker. While it was still accessible on Steam and itch.io, it was not available on the Nintendo eShop in North America and was completely banned in South Korea.
Balatro has been a huge success, selling 250,000 copies in just 72 hours across all platforms. Within the first eight hours of its release, the game made $1 million in sales, becoming profitable for the developer within the first hour.
Editor's P/S:
The sudden removal of Balatro from online stores due to a ratings change is concerning. While it's understandable that ratings boards aim to protect consumers, the lack of warning and the apparent error in this case raise questions about the transparency and consistency of the process. It's important for ratings boards to provide clear guidelines and ample notice of changes to avoid confusion and disruption for developers and consumers alike.
The incident also highlights the challenges faced by games that explore sensitive themes. While Sunshine Shuffle's ban for featuring poker elements may seem excessive, it's a reminder that different markets have varying sensitivities to certain content. Developers need to be aware of these cultural differences and consider the potential implications of their games' content before release.
