We are really gearing up for the release of “Gears 5” on Xbox in September but it has hit the news cycle for an unusual reason today, it’s the fact that the game is giving up smoking.
So whats the reason for this unusual move, I mean GEARS isn’t a game about smoking, unless you are talking about it in the sense that you are smoking the alien menace.
The word on the street is that the decision was made FOR Xbox Game Studios and The Coalition. Who have decided to remove all smoking references from the game after a not-for-profit anti-smoking organisation called “Truth Initiative” approached Turner with the suggestion.
You see Turner are the company that holds the broadcast rights to the GEARS games for esports. So at the end of the day.. dollars plays as much a part as the feel good factor of doing something right for young gamers.
In the past the “Gears of War” franchise has included occasional scenes with tobacco use but this removal of smoking has reportedly been months in the works and reported from “The Coalition” as solely their idea.
Not to worry “Gears 5” will still have all the other regular elements with enough violence to gain it the MA rating for Strong bloody violence, online interactivity (Australia).
It’s not like Smoking was a major story element, probably just used as a stereotype for showing how badass someone is.
Still it’s an interesting move to remove smoking from the game prior to release, after all most people remove smoking with a “patch” and they don’t tend to come out til after a game is released. 😉
