Germany Is Number One in Europe for Downloading Games

[Keane Ng]

Germany Is Number One in Europe for Downloading Games

For a country so often faced with extreme censorship when it comes to videogames, Germany sure still spends lots of time downloading them online, according to a new study.

Lately things haven't been looking so hot for gamers (at least the type who enjoy violence in their games) in Germany, with the government as bad as child pornography [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92246-Germany-Moves-Closer-to-Violent-Videogame-Ban].

Well, despite what the German government might think, it appears that the German population still has plenty of love for games. A study [http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/docs/annual_report/2009/sec_2009_1060_vol_2.pdf] by the Commission of the European Communitnies that tracks "information society development" among countries in the European Union ranks Germany as the number one EU country when it comes to "downloading computer or videogames or their updates." The people surveyed were individuals between 16 and 74.

Of course, the report doesn't say exactly what kinds of games are being downloaded (or if they're being downloaded legally), and it might be safe to presume that a good portion of them are not of the violent type so despised by the state. Nevertheless, it's pretty interesting to see a game-interested population with such an anti-game government.

Considering German gamers seem to be having some minor success [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93471-German-Videogame-Ban-Derailed-by-Internet-Petition] in their opposition to the government thanks to their sheer numbers, perhaps if the game downloading public - and their numbers are evidently large - can organize, they can continue to resist the ban. Or at least you'd hope they could.


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[HardRockSamurai]

It's good to hear that Germany is downloading video games despite all the government's shenanigans. I just hope they're actually playing the games. Either way...

[small]*Salutes. Fires gun in the air.*[/small]

 

[dnadns]

Well, we Germans just wait until any trustworthy looking company shows up and tells us that there is "a certain premium" attached...

Instantly melts my bank account


(with a little irony ;-)

 

[Warped Pixel]

Well video games allow you to be anything/anyone and do everything you dreamed of. Be a rockstar/sportsstar/chosen one mesiah who saves the world from all things nasty/or heck even a god sometimes. It lets you let out stress occasionally too so it isn't hard to belive that one country who has limited access to certain things physiclly would gian them through the digital method.

 

[Tiamat666]

I'm from Germany and I haven't heard anything about all these anti-videogame laws in local news. And the discussion about violent games triggered by the shooting seems to have completely subsided a long time ago. I wonder if this is being hyped abroad or muted domestically.

Or I just missed it.

 

[Flour]

I wonder how many of the downloads will be to get an uncensored version of the game.

 

[Krakyn]

I wonder how many of the downloads will be to get an uncensored version of the game.

I'd have to agree with this. Look what prohibition did to alcohol in the U.S. You're not stopping behavior, you're just turning a bunch of innocent people into criminals.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Well, if things are censored and not allowed, people get them by illegal means. It's hardly surprising.

 

[BloodRed Pixel]

I'm from Germany and I haven't heard anything about all these anti-videogame laws in local news. And the discussion about violent games triggered by the shooting seems to have completely subsided a long time ago. I wonder if this is being hyped abroad or muted domestically.

Or I just missed it.

WHAT! So I guess you missed it for whatever reason.

The Discussion has never been muted and has been ongoing for years now, and was never suspended.
And for the worst this is not hyped, this time. this is the sad truth about Germany.


This debate about evilness in "Killer-Spiele" is getting on for to long and in too wrong direction with too many Politicians trying to sneak in the butt of Popularity.
With Parents Associations and Educators knowing nothing about nothing.

The dumpness with which this topic is discussed in Public always manages me to get totally upset.
The Chansellor Merkel Government with the "Christian Party" does EVERYTHING to point away from the REAL Problems in Germany: SOCIAL DECAY, declining Education, a runied health system by Merkel, decreasing earnings of already lower income classes, while stuffing MILLIONS of Rescue Money into the asses of Banker money burners.
Which brings us back to the topic because no one will admit that most of the German Parent either don´t have the time (because of work to have something to eat) or the skill to care for their children. Which become inspired with some bad ideas in the follow.

But you know Germany is not the US, here it is much much harder to get you hands on a gun.
But it still seems to be too easy.

Next month elections are held in Germay. I Hope the people choose wise. ANYTHING is better than Merkel.


And about the dowanload Games it´s the usual: Steam, DLR for XBox and PS3, WoW etc.
It´s a broad Mix. SIMS sold much better than Half Life 2, but WoW broke every record.
So I guess it´s not so different from the rest of the World, except China.


PS: and about that comparing videogames to child porn: Bavarian Politician are super stupid!!!
they know even less than nothing about anything.
So never take a Bavarian Politician for sane!


PPS: the scientific study is a few years old but I do not see a reason for the findings to lose validity so:
Children coming from social disfunctional enviroments are more severly affected or 'influenced and inspired' from videogame / horror movies than children with a social environment/network they can rely / fall back on. Not so surprising, I guess.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

Hmm, somehow I figured ze germans was the leaders in downloading and I don't know why. Silly lawmakers, let's ban anything that equals money.

 

[Utarefson]

I'm from Germany and I haven't heard anything about all these anti-videogame laws in local news. And the discussion about violent games triggered by the shooting seems to have completely subsided a long time ago. I wonder if this is being hyped abroad or muted domestically.

Or I just missed it.

Hast du keinen Fernseher und liest keine Zeitung?
Naja, das hier ist auch eine gute Quelle:
http://stigma-videospiele.de/wordpress/


[Sry for speaking german,but speaking english to a german doesn't make much sense to me)

 

[Xan Krieger]

I wonder how many of the downloads will be to get an uncensored version of the game.

I wouldn't doubt if it's the majority of the downloads. I really do feel bad for German gamers having to go through these hardships.

 

[Nurb]

its for uncensored versions I'm sure, but the EU has prices that are completely unreasonable.

Like did you guys know that COD4 cost 78 bucks US on release?

 

[Aardvark]

I wonder how many of the downloads will be to get an uncensored version of the game.

Whenever the OFLC down here bans or censors a game for some stupid reason, download and overseas order spike. It's just the nature of the world now. If your government tries to protect you in any way, you use the resources at hand to get around it. If it happens to hurt legitimate business and rob the government of its rightful tax dollars, that's the government's stupid fault.

 

[Lyri]

I'm hardly surprised at this, if you tell people not to do something then they'll go batshit just to try.
It's like seeing a "Do not touch, Wet Paint" sign.

...What is with the German government?
In the past century, they have made some really questionable choices.

You know the ones.

I cracked up.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I imagine it's gamers downloading games to circumvent those oppressive rules...

 

[Lyri]

At least someone did!

Also, I know what you mean. Every time I see one of those signs, I have to go touch whatever it's near.
I am not sure why.

It's mans downfall that he should be so curious, it's like locked doors and the likes. You have to know what's behind it, or if the paint is actually wet.

Well, My Xbox has just gone and bricked so whilst I'm dicking about trying to initiate a repair (seems the support page is down for maintenance, Irony) I'm going to need something to do.
Maybe it's time to take a leaf out of the German book.