It’s EA declare that it will not release a fantasy RPG version Dragon Head: Inquisition in India “to avoid violating local content laws.” But just what local content laws are being violated is a matter of some debate.
of India NDTV Apps cites EA’s Indian retail distributor, Milestone Interactive, in a report that the game’s “homosexual scenes” were to blame for the decision. But an EA representative told Kotaku that the decision “is not specific to same-sex romance.” Instead, EA referred Kotaku to it the ESRB content description for Questionwhich shows suggestive groups, visible headaches, and sexual communication such as cursing and violence.
However, many games with similar or extreme content have been released in India in the past. That includes the first two Dragon head games, which have options for gay romance and are still easily available in the country. India’s obscenity laws is rather vague and subject to interpretation by various courts. Anonymous “sources close to the matter” told NDTV that some Indian consumers took offense at content in previous EA games such as Dante’s Infernoleading EA to be a bit more gun-shy this time around.
Back in 2008, Bethesda decided not to release the Indian version of Result 3 (and later, Result: New Vegas) because of “cultural sensitivities.” The reason is that people think they are Brahmin statues — two-headed cows — which can be objectionable in a country where many consider cows sacred.
India has had a more traditional debate on same-sex relationships recently in its wake last December’s court Peoples recriminalizing gay sex. In June, Russia lifted the 18+ “adults only” measure The Sims 4 in accordance with the controversial law preventing the promotion of gay lifestyles to young people.
In the meantime Question will not be distributed in India, it is still perfectly legal to collect and play in the country. Indian users can import the game from abroad or download it through a VPN or other service that spoofs their location.