US publisher Midway has seen an advert for its 18-rated third person shooter John Woo Presents Strangehold banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, CVG reports.

The agency ruled that the ad breached advertising rules relating to violence, cruelty and health and safety. It stated: "We considered the ad was likely to be seen as encouraging and condoning violence.”

The Picture Production Company, who made the ad for the publisher, stated that it had consciously omitted any scenes of people actually getting shot from the ad, and that in its opinion it was obvious that the footage was not real.