BMX XXX

BMX XXX
Developer(s)	Z-Axis
Publisher(s)	Acclaim Entertainment
Aspect ratio	480i
Platform(s)	Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release date(s)	Xbox [1] NA November 10, 2002 PAL December 6, 2002 PlayStation 2[2] NA November 16, 2002 PAL December 5, 2003 GameCube[3] NA November 24, 2002 PAL June 7, 2003
Genre(s)	Racing, sports (BMX)
Mode(s)	multiplayer
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 18+ ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+

BMX XXX is a 2002 video game published by Acclaim Entertainment for the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PlayStation 2. It was developed by Z-Axis. It is a BMX game speckled with crude humor and nudity. The game allows the player to create riders as topless women in underwear bottoms and "unlock" full motion video clips of strippers in action. Consequently, BMX XXX was denied classification in Australia. While the game is available fully uncensored on the GameCube and the Xbox, the American PlayStation 2 version has no topless riders and the stripper footage is censored with small BMX XXX logos over the nipples. The game received poor reviews and sales, which was exacerbated by the negative attention over the nudity.

Production

BMX XXX builds on the earlier work done by Z-Axis on Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. The development title was Dave Mirra BMX XXX,^[4] and although Dave Mirra refused to endorse the product and obtained legal documents to the effect that his name would not be used, it was initially hyped and offered to the press with his name attached.^[5] It was only after direct legal action that he succeeded in preventing the use of his name on the product.^[5]

Reception

The game was received poorly by critics, holding a Metacritic score of 54%^[6] and a GameRankings score of 55.55%.^[7]

Controversy

The game was originally intended to be a Dave Mirra title without nudity,^[5] but it was generally believed in the industry that the game was of low quality (upon release, its average review in the gaming media was 60%,^[8] which is considered to be below average). Acclaim decided late in the game's development to attempt to create a controversy and hopefully prop up sales by including some nudity.^[5]

The attempt at publicity was rather successful, although the publicity achieved was of the wrong sort for Acclaim; with television reports that Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, and most major IEMA retailers in the United States declined to carry the game in their stores due to the nudity. Sony Computer Entertainment of America refused to allow the game to be published for the PlayStation 2 until the nudity was censored. Consequently, sales were poor: under 100,000 copies were sold. The game was not greeted with controversy or with much sales interest in Europe, while it was sold with the sexual content removed in Australia.^[9] This and other poorly-performing titles contributed to Acclaim Entertainment's bankruptcy in 2004.

See also

• Video game controversy

Citations

External links

• BMX XXX at MobyGames