All violent video games to be BANNED in Germany

[Niall!]

All violent video games to be banned in Germany
Friday, 05 Jun 2009 20:06

German ministers have today agreed to ban the production and distribution of all violent video games, with the law only having to go through parliament in the next few weeks.

According to german website Chip Online and supported by Spiegel Online, ministers of the interior of all sixteen German federal states came together for a conference today in Bremerhaven where they agreed to forbid the production and distribution of all video games "where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or unhuman acts of violence against humans or manlike characters."

The country has been infamously hard on violent video games before now, but an outright ban would result in a huge loss for the video games industry in one of its most successful European countries.

The law would result in no Call of Duty, no God of War, no Crysis, no World of Warcraft, no BioShock, no Uncharted, and no Grand Theft Auto.

Moreover, since a ban on the production of violent games would also be included in the law, German studios, such as Crytek, would have to outsource development to other countries.

The law is hoped to come into effect before the country's federal elections in September. The minister of the interior of Lower Saxony commented:

"Violent games lower the inhibition level for real violence and spree killers always played such games before they did the crime."

Note the second part of that sentence: "spree killers always played such games before they did the crime." That's quite a statement; one we expect they'd like to support with the German school shootings on March 11th, which were linked to Counterstrike and Far Cry 2.

For the law to become a reality it must go through parliament in the next few weeks or months. We'll keep you posted and hope the ministers are just blowing smoke.

http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm

World of Warcraft being banned... prepare yourself for mass suicide and immigration.

[GommeInc]

It would be interesting if it is the violent game industry that is causing all these murders and killings. I suppose the proof would never arise though, even if the levels of killings in Germany drop, dramatically or slowly. I suspect they'll rise though, people will hate not having violent games and would go crazy. The guiy behind this is going to get egged like Nick Griffin, and called a Nazi, for the sake of it.

[Kenneth]

Its gonna cause piracy to rise. Like its not bad enough already.

[Niall!]

Its gonna cause piracy to rise. Like its not bad enough already.

I agree, it's going to skyrocket.

[dbgtz]

Wheyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
There goes a reason to buy a console in germany.
German guy: "WOO MODERN WARFARE 2 SOON"
TV news: "It has just been announced that a state wide ban on any realistic violent games, including a favourite of call of duty"
*REMOVED*
Edited by PaulMacC (Forum Super Moderator): Please do not avoid the filter.

[Jordy]

Technically it wouldn't be piracy if it's not being sold in the country, it'd just be illegal content. Like you can download most anime legally in the UK as it's not on sale here, yet in America/Japan it's piracy.

I personally think the German's are overlooking the fact how big the gaming industry is, and how a large amount of gaming contains violent video games, this would no doubt affect console sales.

As for stopping the psycho's who do these things, if they have the will-power to kill someone cause they're influenced by a video game, I'm sure they'll have the will-power to illegally import violent video games. Along with a large proportion of the population who I have no doubt would easily get hold of violent video games if they want.

[J0SH]

Hopefully I will no longer come accross any nazis on nazi zombies, hehe.

[Caution]

"the killing of people or other cruel or unhuman acts of violence against humans"

I know I shouldn't but I just think Nazi's when I see that. But yeah, that's a bit tight, people will get around thee law though, I can't see how they will for WoW though.

[Jordan,]

that is bad tbh on the consumers and manufactors/game makers

[J0SH]

that is bad tbh on the consumers and manufactors/game makers

90% of sales are from United Kingdom and America though..