Germany poised to ban all violent video games

Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:21PM EDT

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Like gamers around the world, Germans love their shoot-'em-ups. Sure, video gaming isn't quite the industry in Germany that it is in the U.S. (or some other parts of Europe), but it's still an enormous market for the industry.

Those days are quite likely to come to a screeching halt in a matter of weeks, as Germany is well on its way to banning all "violent video games," defined (via translation) as games "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or inhuman acts of violence against humans or manlike characters."

Hmmmm... sounds like just about every game I play. 

The move isn't just one politician banging a shoe on the podium in outrage. All 16 German states have already agreed on the move and are set on implementing it -- and soon. The only real hurdle remaining is pushing the law through German parliament, and that could happen before the end of the summer.

The law would have even broader consequences for game companies based in Germany (including Crysis creator Crytek), as the law would outlaw not just the sale of violent video games but the development of them in Germany, too. These companies would either be forced out of business or compelled to outsource development to other countries, unable to publish their own titles on their home turf.

Why all the panic over video games? The usual stuff, really: Their potential link to violence, particularly among youths. Earlier this year a German teenager killed more than a dozen people while dressed in black camouflage, purportedly copying moves learned in the terrorism-focused Counter-Strike. Such links are extremely controversial, but Germany has been at the forefront of lambasting violent games for years as causing these incidents.

So if the law becomes a reality, what then? Could this be a first step in a broad move to censor violence in all forms: TV shows, movies, books? No reporting of violence in German newspapers and on television news? National Internet filters to keep violent content (and web games) out of the minds of German citizens?

Lots for Germans to think about while they're playing Wii Bowling and Cake Mania.

 

 

Comments on Germany poised to ban all violent video games

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  • 6 Posted by ilovemyjohny on Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    if an idiot can state that violance of games can precipitate acual results shown as higher level of crime. so be it. let them call their own. Once someone is taught that violence is not the means to live in this world, games like this do have some use. big brother or not. ineptidude at it's advanced stages of bull -----

  • 7 Posted by maclingman on Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    it's stupid to blame video games, what about music, movies, or even the evening news. This will accomplish nothing

  • 10 Posted by uffpet on Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Let me be the voice of dissent here: I actually give kudos to Germany for taking this step. I also believe that it is a fundamental difference whether adults with fully developed brains play these games or kids/adolescents whose brains are still developing and who are therefore much, much more susceptible to this kind of gore. Or should it be a total coincidence that all these mass shootings here and in Germany and Finland, etc. were committed by young men in this age group? Who all just coincidentally happened to play such games? I for one don't think so.

  • 11 Posted by rogueist on Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:06AM EDT Report Abuse

    In 20 years, after their cities are flaming ruins, someone will look back and say "you know, if we had those violent video games, we could have let our stress out through non-violent action, rather than destroying our whole country"

  • 12 Posted by monko12105 on Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:51AM EDT Report Abuse

    Rofl, without violent video games, people would move to real violence. PS. I think the Nazis and the holocaust came before video games. Has anything like that happened in germany since video games? NOPE

  • 13 Posted by foridude on Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:21AM EDT Report Abuse

    Just take a look at the USA! Violence everywhere! Guns and death by video games. These are not games! They are violence in another form. People who play them are Sick, Sick, Sick! The US is going to heck in a handbucket, and this is just another reason why.

  • 14 Posted by crapdirector on Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:22AM EDT Report Abuse

    give me liberty or give me death ... or apparently apathy.

  • 15 Posted by uffpet on Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:47AM EDT Report Abuse

    Monko - are you actually saying that had there been video games in Germany before 1933 the Holocaust would have never happened? I suggest you do a little research here. Things tend to be just a wee bit more complex than that. And by the way, what does the Holocaust have to do with violent video games in the first place (other than Wolfenstein, that is)? This is a preposterous assumption and simplification to make. It gives me hives.

  • 16 Posted by cokroach on Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think what monko was trying to say is that violence and psychotic behavior was around long before the advent of video games. And for those that want to say that children should not be playing them, that is why they are rated MA, so that adults have to buy them. Poor parenting is to blame if a video game that is rated MA falls into the hands of a child who then emulates the game in real life.

  • 17 Posted by kylerussellhall on Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    pokemon has to be the first to go. there's something frightening about a kid who keeps monsters in his pants and unleashes them to stamp out other monsters. sound like a classic 'my thing is bigger than yours' complex

  • 18 Posted by creative_internet_ideas on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ve vill not invade Russia no more. Ve vill play patty cake. Just let us have 10,000 officers and 100,000 Army. :) Then ve be happy. Of course ve vill have to take the Sudatenland over. Uhm and then part of Czekoslavakia, they not selling veiner schnitzel there! Then ve hire secret scientists for underground robotics ja. In 5 years ve vill dominate Europe again with robotic soldiers, ja. And ve send robotic soldiers by air to other countries. Americans, ve Germans are youse friends ja. Can you Americans say "no to Big Brother?" Ve help unslave Americans from Big Brother.

  • 19 Posted by creative_internet_ideas on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    {australian accent} Dear German semi-military toy company, I bought a spider bot from you for my son last year eh. He is five. Said spider bot has reprogrammed his computer? I was checking his computer and spiderbot downloaded Russian Coordinates? What the heck is this eh? Some kind of sick joke? Now the Spiderbot can't be disarmed? Krikey. It zaps me?! whenever I try. Furthermore is that nuclear bomb codes it's imputed into my son's computer? Wtf? Kindly please respond on how to disarm this...wanna dominate the world Spiderbot. Yours, Me

  • 20 Posted by creative_internet_ideas on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    World Jewish Video Games and Yahoo Profile Jewish Confirmation Committee To whom it may concern, be hereby warned that creative internet ideas, that sob is a Jew. One of the more crazier tribes that survived on humor alone. Therefore it is noted to stay away from the mad crazy Jew. That is all. Carry on. Rebbe ("is he really one of us? Give me another tums...")

  • 21 Posted by creative_internet_ideas on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    {Austrian accent} That creative internet ideas guy is NOT a girlyman! He is one of us. I saw him doing pushups in a video. Recruit at will. Just don't go public yet. [talking to a scientist, "are the Arnie Dolls electified yet?"] Signed, Arnie Governor of California "We need $" but will take volunteers and hostages if need be.

  • 22 Posted by paulie_biggs on Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    Dang I gues----- ler must have had a beta version of Call of Duty or something. That just explains everything. Good thing Germany is taking this extremely rational step...

  • 23 Posted by coasterman1234 on Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    The ignorant lawmakers in Germany are clearly out of touch with reality and still believe that violent video games cause violence in the population. 99.8% of people can tell the difference between shooting an imaginary character on a TV screen, versus even attempting to hurt a live human or animal. Its absurd to punish 99.8% of the population for the .2% minority.

  • 25 Posted by malcolm_young1987 on Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:14AM EDT Report Abuse

    they're just tired of all the WW2 nazi zombie games.. if they blame video games for violence then they need to do their research..

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