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EA: German game restricitions are censorship photo

Most people who aren't German politicians will tell you that Germany's reaction to so-called "killer games" is childish and ludicrous. Gamers, the gaming press and developers have all voiced dismay over Germany's treatment of the game industry, and now Electronic Arts has chipped in to condemn the nonsensical behavior of the Fourth Reich.

"What we're doing here is censorship," rages EA executive VP and GM of international publishing Gerhard Florin. "And nobody complains. When we talk about games here it's about violence or their alleged addictiveness, and not about their cultural status. The few good studios are asking themselves why they should stay here anyway."

However, Marek Brunner, head of Germany's USK rating board, has defended the way he operates, and has stated that the country won't move to a more sensible PEGI system: "It's hard when half-truths are being used. They say the USK does this wrong, the USK does that bad and why doesn't this get a rating?" He adds that Germany's legal authorities get in the way of game ratings, and that it's not the USK's fault. 

Whoever's fault it is, something should change before Germany finds itself without a game industry. Censorship is definitely what's happening in Germany, and it's simply incredibly stupid.


Continue: More Nazi shenanigans stories





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24 comments | showing # 1 to 24

Solid Squirrel's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:02
Solid Squirrel
I wonder how they treat games with the Nazis as the bad guys. Do they just simply not allow the games to be published there?
PappaDukes's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:03
PappaDukes
I saw Inglorious Basterds yesterday. Good movie. Bloody as all hell.
Avalon51's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:05
Avalon51
@Solid Squirrel: Are you insane? More than anything the Germans are ashamed of everything that happened under the Nazi government.
mix's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:05
mix
I sure hope stuff like this doesn't spread too much as I would hate to have stuff like this happen in the US/Canada, too much grey area stuff going on.

I also love how people totally forget about movies and the internet, 10 year old kids can go watch real people dying on the internet but heaven forbid they should steal a fake car in a fake world :/
hoechst's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:16
hoechst
The USK isn't the problem. The BPjM and the politicians are. That guy is right imho.
wanderingpixel's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:21
wanderingpixel
If they continue to take their censorship in the direction they are currently going into, the gaming industry in Germany will become nonexistent. An the economy in Germany will suffer harshly.
Velt's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:25
Velt
Im not a german but I would be very preocupied by the jobs the country can loose. Is like a shut down of the technology and media sector.
Solid Squirrel's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:28
Solid Squirrel
@Avalon51 Actually, your comment only further validates what I said.
OrangeJuice's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:28
OrangeJuice
Wow whats up with the dumb choice for the picture, are you five years old?
Mentok the Mindtaker's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:28
Mentok the Mindtaker
Love the image.... reminds me of home...
Super Drybones's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:33
Super Drybones
I heard about this guy called Hitler on the History Channel, somebody should stop him.
Qraze's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:34
Qraze
they're mad because most games have people killing german nazis.
Super Drybones's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:39
Super Drybones
@ Qraze
It's not our fault their flag looks like a giant target.
TheLegendaryMan's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:46
TheLegendaryMan
LOL Guess what will happen when Wolfestein comes on Germany.
Isay Isay's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 16:55
Isay Isay
Why is the picture Toejam when I look at the story in condensed mode?
n0brein's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 17:12
n0brein
There'll be elections in a few weeks over here and the CDU (christian conservative party) has banning of (so-called) killer games in their election program. Unfortunately they're very very likely to win the elections and besides the banning of adult games they want to censor websites featuring these games.
You'll know if they succeeded if you stop seeing me posting comments and participating in the forums...
mario actually's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 17:15
mario actually
You wonder what happens to games with Nazis in them? Simple: They remove the swasticalels, because this is the reason, why my granddad wanted to fight for this stupid motherfucker, the beatiful symbol...
Jim is right. It's dumb.

But as a german, I get really really uncomfortable, when I see a picture like the above... Avalon51 is right there, the shame is sitting deep.

Well at least our government isn't setting up death-panels to kill the elderly....
*sigh*

There's such a fuckstorm of stupidity underway these days.
turdismiller's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 17:26
turdismiller
i agree with mario actually, there is a fuckstorm of stupidity underway these days. aren't there anti-nazi paraphernalia laws in Germany? does that mean nazi killing games get changed to just German killing games? anymore it really doesn't follow in my mind that nazi's are Germans.
mrplow8's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 17:27
mrplow8
Maybe they'll lighten up if we send Brad Pitt over there to start scalping people.
electrikmayhem's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 17:52
electrikmayhem
@mrplow8:
a winner is you!
ace of knaves's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 19:12
ace of knaves
"We will be cruel to the German..."-Lt. Aldo Raine, and, if this shit keeps up, the games industry.
electrikmayhem's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 19:45
electrikmayhem
@PappaDukes: I don't know if you've seen any OTHER Quentin Tarantino movies, but there are wayyyyy bloodier ones. This one was really toned down, imo.
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/24/2009 19:45
Jon B
Heh, I laughed at the change in header image. The original was pushing it a bit mind.

Still, I don't see why Germany is so damn against games. It's like they're Australia II: Sausages Edition or something.
Eraser's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/25/2009 01:09
Eraser
It really sucks living here in germany. But one can just simply import games like Gears of War and so on, but itīs still a hassle.

The censoring of games is just stupid and itīs mostly done by people that donīt know anything about those games.
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