Gears of War won't turn in Germany

Back in July, German zombie-haters were stymied in their quest to slay the undead when the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) refused to give Dead Rising a rating due to its excessive violence. While this didn't officially ban the game, it effectively limited the scope of its release and made it available only as a hard-to-get under-the-counter sale.

Now it appears the USK is at it again. Microsoft has confirmed to GameSpot that Gears of War has been refused rating in Germany, presumably also due to violence. Because of this, Microsoft has decided not to release the game in the country, as per the company's policy with unrated games.

It's currently unclear whether Germany has been left out of the Gears of War loop entirely or if Deutsch consumers will be able to get the game the same roundabout way they can get Dead Rising, such as by importing the game from other regions.

Gears of War is rated M for Mature in North America and will be released on November 7. For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage.