A few months ago we learned that Bethesda was planning on releasing a censored version of Fallout 3 in Australia. The reasons were due to run-ins with local regulatory agencies who found the game to be controversial. Censorship seemed like a reasonable measure to Bethesda, especially since it would only affect the Australian market.
The changes Bethesda made for Australia, however, seem to have been carried worldwide. According to several blurbs, Bethesda has commented that there will be no difference between the North America, UK or Australian versions of the game. They also assert that the changes are minor, and are only in labeling, with nothing being changed in the actual game mechanics.
A name substitution is a small thing, yes, but it is also a starting point. If one game company makes a change to a game worldwide because of one government's opinion, doesn't it stand to reason that other game makers might follow suit with bigger changes?