United Arab Emirates Bans Red Dead Redemption

The United Arab Emirates seems to have banned Red Dead Redemption from being sold in the nation's shops, according to a retailer from the Dubai Mall quoted by a user from the T-Break Forums. The developer, Rockstar San Diego, and its publisher, Take-Two Interactive, have refrained from any official comments. Red Entertainment, the company that distributes Rockstar's games in the UAE, is also not talking about the issue. This decision has baffled gamers in the region, as no offensive imagery, religious or otherwise, has been sighted in the game's trailers, screenshots and posters.

It is not the first time this has happened in the UAE, though Rockstar San Diego's blockbuster is just the latest addition to a list that contains other popular titles like Darksiders, Heavy Rain or God of War 3. This policy of the country's government seems to be scaring game publishers away. Dante's Inferno, for example, was not released in the UAE by Electronic Arts for fear of possible banning, as the game's religious themes might offend sensibilities of the region.

Red Dead Redemption is the sequel to Red Dead Revolver, Rockstar's first Western-themed shooter. The story revolves around John Marston, a reformed outlaw in 1911's America. Federal agents threaten his family to determine him to travel to the Wild West to arrest his old gang members, one of whom is a best friend of his, Bill Williamson.

The game is a third-person open-world action adventure and includes a multiplayer component. The developers are boasting that the player is able to interact in many ways with the world. Apart from the usual story missions, he has the option to engage in more period-specific activities, like gambling, hunting or the famous standoffs. Red Dead Redemption also features a morality meter that will measure the player's behavior during his or her adventures by awarding positive or negative "honor." The graphics are powered by the Rockstar San Diego RAGE engine, the same that was used in the well-known Grand Theft Auto 4. This new title is set for release on the 21st of May in Europe and all the other PAL regions on the Xbox 360 and the PS3.