Germany Says "Nein" to Violent Game Ban

[Andy Chalk]

Germany Says "Nein" to Violent Game Ban

The German government has decided not to impose a ban on violent videogames, opting instead to promote more widespread education and awareness of the PEGI [http://pegi.eu/] videogame rating system.

Germany began seriously toying with the idea of a sweeping ban against violent videogames following the murders of 15 students in a school shooting in child pornography and drugs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90185-Surprise-Surprise-Germany-Shooting-Linked-To-Games]," while foremost German developer Crytek vowed once again to pull out of the country if any such ban was put into place.

But it seems that cooler heads have prevailed, according to German site Google translated [http://www.gamecaptain.de/News/23693/Killerspiele%3A_Herstellungs-_und_Verbreitungsverbot.html]), which reported that Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs Dr. Herman Kues has confirmed that "a change in the relevant Criminal Code... was not planned." Furthermore, according to the site, the call for a ban is now "definitively off the table."

"The decision of the federal government supports our belief that banning videogames is not an efficient way to monitor content," GamesIndustry [http://www.ea.com]. "The German decision is a very welcome step as we encourage policy makers to better understand the reality of today's videogame market and give games the same respect as books, films or music."

It's probably not the final word on the matter - these things never seem to really and truly end - and of course Germany will continue to severely restrict the sale of violent games within its borders. But for now, at least, it looks like German gamers are off the hook.


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[Korten12]

good news and bad for me... I just discovered my character name in my RP means "No" in german. 0.o

 

[pwnzerstick]

People need to realize that games dont cause violence, they are played as an offset by violent people to fullfill fantasys, for most people though it is just to have fun

 

[Irridium]

This is good news.

Hopefully the Supreme Court here in the U.S. will make the same decision later in the year.

 

[Proteus214]

Because we all know that games turn children into mass-murderers. Hooray for Germany then!

 

[Therumancer]

Interesting.

Truthfully I'm sort of surprised the "cooler heads" in these cases aren't pointing fingers at more of the media and it's irresponsibility in such matters.

Simply put with the number of people gaming nowadays, and the popularity of certain titles, chances are pretty much any criminal is likely to have played violent games at some point. It does not mean there is a connection, simply that video games are far more common (and they have always been violent).

The thing is that right now a Reporter can sensationalize a story by finding a crime, and then doing some borderline investigation to see if the guy(s) involved had game decks, or a PC, and if so what kind of games they were playing.

What I find disturbing about these trends, is that news agencies have gotten to be very stupid. I don't think it's occured to a lot of them that if these sensational anti-gaming stories were ever to succeed and see legislation to limit free speech, and see the goverment involved tighter control of the media, it's likely to snowball and hit them. First they get the games, then they move on to movies, and then to books. Then we have the "protect us from violent media" thing go to the news, and how reporting on violent or anti-social acts, like oh say... what the military of their nation gets into abroad, is effectively the same thing. Heck, while a lunatic fringe, there have been people screaming to ban news programs comparing them (even with current standards) to people watching "Faces Of Death" given some of what is covered.

Not many people see this kind of thing coming until it's already snowballing and too late to fully stop the inertia. Sadly most of us have a very short term point of view.

The thing is, I have no idea about how one can force the news media (in general) to be more responsible, without effectively limiting it's freedom and causing these kinds of controls from a differant direction.

 

[Woodsey]

"The Interior Minister of Bavaria said violent games were "on the same level as child pornography and drugs,""

He's the second guy this week that I'm going to award a +1 Moron stat to.

Anyway, this is good news, although I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about the importance of promoting ratings.

Surely people understand that the bigger number on the front of a film is an age restriction, so why is it any different for games? Don't tell me the font and colour change confuses them...

If people have no problem with buying their kid an 18, then that's how it is and you can't stop them.

 

[lee1287]

Yya for germanyyy =]

 

[Darth Caelum]

How nice. There are reasonable people in the world afterall.

 

[Snor]

Yay germany!...wait what no no! i have cheered for germany

 

[sougo13]

Oh No!! What were the German government thinking? Next thing we know, there's going to be a mass outbreak of underage, homocidal twats after they played a violent-video-game-that-shouldn't-be-in-their-hand-if-I-have-paid-them-a-slightest-of-attention.

Seriously though, good news for the German gamers.

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

Bet that's a relief for them. I'd go mental if the UK tried to ban games of any sort. Without gaming offering me consequence free mass murder all my life, I'd probably have stabbed someone by now.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Only Australia left now, as goes democratic nations censoring videogames.

Not really, actually. Shit like this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94909-Wolfenstein-Recalled-in-Germany-UPDATED] still happens.

Germany won't be banning violent games outright, but censorship will still feature prominently.

 

[sougo13]

They always have to throw a hissyfit when some 'gamers' blow up real shit. What about the gazilliion OTHER games who never had trouble with the Law..Like me?

Seeing things in perspective helps in so many cases.

Unfortunately, only ones with the biggest/stupidest mouth will get any attention. The rational ones often get ignore.

 

[Bloodstain]

For the first time in years, I'm proud of my country.

Yay.

Still, the German censorship is really bad...

 

[Firebane]

I demand that every time a country looks into a violent games ban because of an incident like this they also look into a violent film, music and book ban and of course a way of rounding up the mentally ill because obviously a game is not the only factor in these cases. I've played all the games that the shooter was apparently a 'fan' of and I can guarantee I've never thought about killing anyone, as have many others.

In the modern days idiots have made it so that games can be used as a scapegoat for people who are already unstable, I'm happy Germany has said no to the ban.