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.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
4:00 PM on 08.24.2009
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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 :/
It's not our fault their flag looks like a giant target.
You'll know if they succeeded if you stop seeing me posting comments and participating in the forums...
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.
a winner is you!
Still, I don't see why Germany is so damn against games. It's like they're Australia II: Sausages Edition or something.
The censoring of games is just stupid and itīs mostly done by people that donīt know anything about those games.