Zombie Cow has canned the Xbox 360 version of shoot-em-up Privates after Microsoft deemed the game's "sexual nature" too much for the console.

"The guys at Xbox have been amazing," insisted Dan Marshall of Zombie Cow Studios.

"They've been really supportive and helpful throughout, but ultimately have advised that the game wouldn't pass the Indie Games Peer Review process, purely due to its inherently sexual nature.

"As a result, if you want to play as a tiny little man blasting away inside someone's innards, the only place to do it is privatesgame.com."

The decision comes as no surprise. In May Microsoft warned it was unlikely to approve the twin-stick shooter.

Microsoft spokesperson David Dennis said at the time: "We have guidelines in place that closely track requirements of content ratings boards worldwide and, among other things, prohibit the publication of strong sexual content.

"While we haven't seen this game, we can confirm that if it is consistent with the description we have seen on the Internet, this game would not pass peer review and would not be permitted to be distributed on Xbox Live."

In Privates you play a gang of condom-hatted marines that enters peoples' vaginas and bums. Really.

"It's rude, funny, bitingly satirical and technically pretty accurate if you don't count the tiny people or the germs with teeth," Zombie Cow says.

The idea behind the game is to provide a bit of sex education as well as some laughs. It was funded by Channel 4 and designed to fit in with the Personal, Social and Health Education guidelines of the National Curriculum.

Will Porter went hands-on for Eurogamer in July.