Minors won't hear Siren's call at TGS

TOKYO--Implementing age restrictions on games has been one of the major movements in Japan's entertainment industry recently, and Sony Computer Entertainment is doing its part at this year's Tokyo Game Show. The company announced that gamers hoping to try out Siren 2 at its booth will be required to verify their ages through some form of identification, such as a driver's license, insurance card, or passport. Though the PlayStation 2 horror game hasn't been officially rated yet, SCE will not allow visitors under the age of 15 to play the it, as the company feels the game includes material that is not suitable for younger audiences.

This is not the first time SCE has restricted viewing of material related to the Siren series. Two years ago when the original Siren came out, the company pulled the game's television commercials off the air after receiving complaints from parents saying the ads were scaring their children.

The influence of games on minors has been a major issue in the gaming industry. One of the stage events at this year's Tokyo Game Show will be dedicated to the discussion of the CERO rating system, which is the Japanese equivalent of the ESRB rating system. The discussion will be hosted by Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix and vice CEO of CESA, with presentations from a number of specialists in the study of how games affect society and young audiences. Siren 2 is slated for release in Japan this winter.