In an almost ironic twist, EA’s The Simpsons Game has garnered a lot of press attention through recent controversy after drawing the ire of a company that, well, gains press attention through controversy. Rumors have been flying thick and fast that the result of the EA/Rockstar spat was the removal of the “Grand Theft Scratchy” level in The Simpsons Game. This rumor has been proven false.
In a statement made to The Shampoo Circus, Electronic Arts has confirmed that nothing has been removed from the game due to Rockstar taking umbrage with the GTA spoof:
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to put these rumors to rest. There was absolutely no content removed from the game as a result of complaints or comments by another publisher.
The spoof content and parody storyline for The Simpsons Game has been in place since the early stages of the titles’ development. In-game spoof content for Grand Theft Scratchy has not been removed.
There you have it. Of course, it would have been very hypocritical for Rockstar to cause cuts in a videogame, so it’s good to see that these recent shenanigans haven’t gone so far. It’s still strange that Rockstar, itself a developer with satirical leanings, would have a problem with parody, but at least there’s no undue censorship going on. That would be very bad form indeed.
