Evidently no one informed Germany's 16 Interior Minister's that E3 was going on this week because I'm sure if they had known they would have waited for a time when their request to the Bundestag (Germany's equivalent of Parliament) to ban the production and distribution of violent videogames would have made a much bigger splash. Seriously, making a name for themselves is the only logical reason they could be trying to do this, especially since they seem to be in such a rush to do it before the upcoming elections on Sept. 27.
The proposal mentions the March 11 shootings that have stirred up so much anti-videogame propaganda in Germany recently multiple times, and that fact just adds to the idiocy of the whole situation. On top of German's not being able to play violent videogames, German development companies wouldn't be able to make them either. This means a company like Crytek would have to outsource its violent game development or possibly not make any at all. Sounds really great for your industry Germany.
Of all the countries in the world for this story to come out of, Germany should really know better.
Matthew Razak is Destructoid's Associate editor and co-founder of film site
Flixist. He began as community member "cowzilla" and was since sequestered to write brainy features material. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife.
Likes
Games! Movies! Hats!
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
37 comments | showing # 1 to 37
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
3:00 PM on 06.06.2009
| 
Could we stop with this?
Yes. That'll work.
Nope, don't work on making sure the wrong people don't get them. Just whip that mighty banhammer out and end it at the source.
Ban plastic bags because kids can choke on them!
Ban mobile phones because people might drive while talking!
Ban alcohol because it can cause violence!
Ban ALL violent films and ANY music that even HINTS at violence
Ban people from buying fertilizer because that could be made into bombs
Ban people from owning knives, even for cooking purposes, because someone could be stabbed with them.
Ban people from wearing large coats because they might shoplift while wearing them
Ban people from talking Panadol or Paracetamol because some take 50 tablets at once to get high (and to anyone who thinks this is a good idea, it utterly destroys your liver as well)
Ban people from owning lawn-mowers - the sharp blades might hurt jimmy!
Ban WW2 documentaries - some neo nazi might get inspiration from it!
BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN
Taken to its logical extreme, everyone would be living in white padded rooms, eat only organic food (which isn't actually any better or healthier than regular food), couldn't say anything to each other than "good morning" and "goodbye", and have no entertainment at all.
The old geezers in government want to ban video games because
1) They don't play games so it doesn't effect them
2) The government can jump up and down and say "Hey, we FUCKED THE ECONOMY, but we're BANNING GAMES TO SAVE LITTLE HANZ so VOTE FOR US!"
They just don´t get it, it is so freaking stupid.
Although this is not the first attempt to do this. They tried it before and failed. I don´t want to live in a country where steam would be kinda illegal, because they sell "violent" games.
I guess they are only doing this because of incoming elections. Get some old people to vote for them.
Shit!
Guess I´ll have to live in the U.S. after that.
You gotta choose, hot coffee mod or Counter Strike. ^^
This.
For shame.
Nor I'm sure did Jack the Ripper, Manson, Bundy etc The bottom line is if you are a fucking loony mentalist you are gonna do it anyway and while you may take an idea for a slaughter from a game you could take it from a film, book or whatever else.
Not that games shouldn't be classified, parents just need to get a clue and stop buying their kids GTA and other ADULT games.
Then why am I not a Homicidal Maniac bent on killing everyone.
Oh thats right Im well adjusted and can tell the difference between whats real and what's a game.
Thankgod I dont live in Germany.
But I'll just leave this here
violent game / violent movie / violent music
i ear it from britain usa australia and germany but here, nobody really attack the videogame industry that much, i don't know if it's because it's over or if we're are just not there yet...
i can't really remenber a story about a french going on a rampage remotely related to videogame
At least some reasonable peoble in the bundestag will stop this from getting a real law. The video- & software market have a big enough lobby to kick that request.
At last we can sing in an bath tub on sunday :D
The more restrictive you are, the more angry the gamers get. And that is a lot of potential voters lost, mein freund.
So just be less restrictive and all is easy town.
I'm all for this! Before the 80's Norway suffered from some insane censorship laws. But when Life of Brian got banned, and was advertised in Sweden as "the film so funny that it was banned in Norway", people got fed up and demanded change. I dont think any entertainment medium has suffered from censorship here ever since. The last time we had a drama about violent videogames was in the early 90's, when Doom came out I think...
plus I AM TEH LAW!!!
I think Germany is still trying to convince the world they aren't as cold and ruthless now as the SS was then...I mean, you can't even play Return to Castle Wolfenstien there...
Dear American people, can you please help us to get rid of our insane authorities, like you did before...? pls
I live in holland and i feel for you but if germany takes this meddling to the EU I'm expecting sympathetic riots on the streets! So prepare your friends cause somehow i have a feeling something like that might happen if they get this through in germany...
Their research did actually show that violent video games made kids more violent, and non-violent games made them more docile. But when the grad students were talking about this, I just had to say, "So?" People have been imitating violence as a form of entertainment ever since ever. Why is this outlet any worse? No one has proven that to me, yet.
"Most sort of diversion in men, children, and other animals, are in imitation of fighting."
--Jonathan Swift