CENSORED / MISSED tables' elements and features list.

[russian_martian]

UPDATE:
here in video Crow spotted what at least 1 thing on Medieval Madness still is censored - word "eaten" changed to "taken" on DMD wuring video mode

IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Zen just announced what starting from Vol.2 Williams/Bally tables will be released on Steam in unaltered form. Vol. 1 tables will be returned to unaltered form on Dec 4 with Vol 2 update release (Fish Tales will be returned to original form too)

guys if someone posted negative review to FX3 or Williams DLC, please change it to positive if censorship was your main concern. it will be fair to developer.

UPDATE from official FX3 Williams FAQ:
https://www.pinballfx.com/?page_id=7989

Q:Pinball FX3 has a rating of E10+. Will Zen censor Williams tables that contain content not appropriate for this rating?
A:Zen Studios is happy to confirm that unaltered versions of all William™ Pinball tables will be released on Steam when Volume 2 releases. You will have the choice to play either version based on what is best for you. Unaltered versions of the tables will also be available on mobile.

Zen Studios is very aware that certain tables, such as Medieval Madness, have content that cannot be included in an E10+ rated game. At this time we are running the Family Mode version directly from the ROM on consoles, Windows 10 and Mac. Zen is not censoring the game any differently from what Family Mode includes. On Steam, the game is not running Family Mode; however, this can be turned on in the game settings if so desired.

We hear from both sides – those who do not want Family Mode to be the only option in the game and those who appreciate Family Mode, and we will work to find the right balance for this situation.



you can check list of what is removed/edited on tables in game menu ->"legal resources"

List of already spotted out censored / missed elements:
-------------------
All Tables:
-- pop bumpers miss bottom parts (on which ball is roll to trigger upper sliding part)
here is link to how bumpers should look on High Speed 2: Getaway for example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9JFBaDKxSc

Fish Tales:
-- added bubbles near pelican's pipe on sides art of cabinet
-- edited text on 2 cans on backglass
-- pipe removed from mouth of character near top rollovers
-- cigar removed from mouth of fisherman at center of playfield art
-- art on sides of table head: mermaids belly is covered with scales instead of be regular human skin
-- game flyer (mastery reward) has same edits as ingame table

Medieval Madness:
-- on backglass cigar is removed from Troll's mouth
-- on backglass blood is removed from King's sword
-- on backglass blood is removed from sword in "Medieval Madness" (letter "i") text logo
-- on backglass girl's outfit in left lower corner is edited "from bikini to full armor"
-- on sides of cabinet blood is removed from sword
-- [STILL NOT RETURNED TO ORIGINAL (word "eaten")] during Video mode on DMD text "child" and "calf" changed to "taken" from original "eaten"
-- "VO's using the version free from pertinent content of the "I'm Lord Howard Hurtz" line"
-- game flyer (mastery reward) has same edits as ingame table

Junk Yard:
-- on backglass cigar is removed from Bob's mouth
-- on playfield cigar is removed from Bob's mouth
-- on back inside of cabinet cigar is removed from Bob's mouth
-- on backglass upper part of girl's in thub chest art is covered with more bubbles
-- some voices/sounds during Toilet shots in Family mode [need to check which ones]
-- plunger rod and textures of cabinet around it are invisible, so you can even see floor through the hole
-- game flyer (mastery reward) has same edits as ingame table

Party Zone:
-- DMD animations (with beer) on Party Zone are still censored even in uncensored mode.

[UPDATE 4] Topic open post was edited to become kind of check list of missed elements (both censored or just missed/not properly added) known to date. It is not listing game bugs, because it is not about it.

Pinball kinda saved at least here on Steam and mobiles =)

[russian_martian]

this compromises turn off people much more than can be thought - that one of a reasons why i stopped buy TPA season packs - just wha a reason to get them if it is not recreation, it is just something what looks close on first look, but some time after that when you start to dig into it such "content compromises" start grow on you make you very disappointed - people who came for "real expirience" start to turn off and go out to real arcades or back to VPX

my offer is: to release separate real piball recreations app with higher ratigs and just forget about such problems - afterall it looks like Zen plans do such thing on androids and mobile anyway, so why not solve this possible catastrophe in this way? or just release packs with "inappropriate" content in separate packs with higher ratings.

[Fake News Fredo]

I say no to censorship since the 80's video nasties.
I don't buy anything that is censored in any way, if i know it before buying.
Thank you for the infos, now i have 2 reasons for not buying any FX3 content.
The 2nd is the still unfixed store page. If that is too hard to do, they don't deserve my money.

[wilbers]

One thing I note is that DLC can have a higher rating than the main game. See http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_process.aspx

So it could be done, but may be a choice that they want to do it as little as possible. Could a workaround be to sell a single DLC for a nominal price that removes any censorship from other tables, and a toggle somewhere in the options so it could be re-enabled?

[russian_martian]

jwillan lähetti viestin:

One thing I note is that DLC can have a higher rating than the main game. See http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_process.aspx

So it could be done, but may be a choice that they want to do it as little as possible. Could a workaround be to sell a single DLC for a nominal price that removes any censorship from other tables, and a toggle somewhere in the options so it could be re-enabled?

thanks for the link Jiwillan! Looks like a pertty doable way to avoid censorhip !
Really hope Zsolt and guys will hear us and react

[Manglerdome]

Just make it a toggle for mature content in the game and have separate age rating for the DLC like suggested above. I would prefer that you get the full experience of playing the tables as they were designed.

[Blinky]

As said above, just put a toggle in there if it's that critical to get some idiotic ESRB rating. Pinball started in the United States of America, there's no place for censorship. If you need to make extra money by selling two versions of the table....well that stinks and it divides the playerbase, but I guess that's one possible solution. Honestly though, I wish this wasn't even something being considered for the Williams tables. 99% of the people buying your products are ADULTS. Cater to those paying the money, your customers.

[russian_martian]

Blinky lähetti viestin:

As said above, just put a toggle in there if it's that critical to get some idiotic ESRB rating. Pinball started in the United States of America, there's no place for censorship. If you need to make extra money by selling two versions of the table....well that stinks and it divides the playerbase, but I guess that's one possible solution. Honestly though, I wish this wasn't even something being considered for the Williams tables. 99% of the people buying your products are ADULTS. Cater to those paying the money, your customers.

totally agree - Pinball even in real life is playing by kids with parents supervision, so they can regulate what to play for their kids on their own. So we really must understand what auditory of pinball is: this real tables were ALREADY produced with this content so they ALREADY were targeting at teen-mature audince, so what is a point to censor it? -Toaday kids play GTA5 and all this other mature games, but you trying to censor some cartoony pixalated sketchy animation of dragon killing on Medieval Madness?? REALLY? - THIS is a REAL MADNESS!

[russian_martian]

updated - just tried to play MM myself...thi is total 100% ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ here is TOTALLY no way i will buy game with this censorhips - guys really just try it yourelf - shoot dragon ramp several times and look on DMD !!
i would not expect to say it, but SHAME on you Zen!!! SUCH INSULT to every pinhead who trust in you...

[The Space Ferret]

I find it funny. The 'awesome' Zen censored that animation and the 'terrible' FarSight didn't.

[russian_martian]

The Ice Ferret Kitty lähetti viestin:

I find it funny. The 'awesome' Zen censored that animation and the 'terrible' FarSight didn't.

yep totally agree on that - it is verry sad irony, but as for pinball lover it is more like personal tragedy for me - second to when WMS/Bally stopped to make pinball. this way of making recreation of pinball is waste of second and probably last chance what a lot of people were waited for

[russian_martian]

Pinball Player lähetti viestin:

I *hate* censorship! It's ridiculous! And it *ruins* perfectly good games!

It has the effect of some people over-obsessing about the "naughty" bits and telling other adults what they can and cannot be exposed to. It's *life*! Get over it!

Do you know what is even more absurd? - the censored animations on MM, for example, showed how pixalated dragon breath fire on knight or how knight slashed dragon's head - in fact this looks not more brutal than a 10 seconds of Tom&Jerry or some Bugs Bunny cartoons

[russian_martian]

How Zen go to explain to kids what they CANT see how pixalated dragon breath fire on knight, but CAN see Titanic movie where hundreds people die (PG-13) ? but even harder will be for them to explain why ADULTS can not see pixalated dragons battling with pixalated knights.. Jesus, i feel dumb even am talking about it right now!!

[Akos]

We understand where you guys are coming from, and you have some good ideas in this thread.

But yes, we have to conform to our age rating and every piece content in that category has to be age appropriate and go under the strict rules of said ratings.

[russian_martian]

Akos lähetti viestin:

We understand where you guys are coming from, and you have some good ideas in this thread.

But yes, we have to conform to our age rating and every piece content in that category has to be age appropriate and go under the strict rules of said ratings.

then discuss how to tune and make it with people who will play with that waste - i'm done with this game even before it released. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ why such sh_it always happens to games i love and want?

[russian_martian]

Akos lähetti viestin:

We understand where you guys are coming from, and you have some good ideas in this thread.

But yes, we have to conform to our age rating and every piece content in that category has to be age appropriate and go under the strict rules of said ratings.

why not just make game with PROPER rating for target auditory of PINBALL? - you already made separate apps several times before! WHY NOT NOW? you are not making Deadpool 2 movie for everyone and make one huge black sqaure on screen for 2 hours - you just make it with proper age rating - that the goal of all this ratings - not to censor content but to warn people what it contains !