MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE! MY FOOT IS NOT ON FIRE!

They forgot to "localize an element". Allegedly it's this one.

They should totally replace the swastikas with smiley faces. Then it's all good.

Although, I'm inclined to give Germany the benefit of a doubt and think that maybe hey just know what a douche Bobby Kotic is and are boycotting Activision games (yeah, not bloody likely).

@KanzlerMartok

I know it's not actually denying the Holocaust. I was being facetious.

@Quoth

LEARN TO INTERPRET BRITISH SARCASM. Even if it's slightly true.

Here is a German info about the game:
http://www.schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=5982811
It has been cut in everyway possible. They just oversaw this one single tiny little sign...

I hate my homeland -_- Look at the pictures, that's how ALL our games are!

I think it's dumb too, but I understand the motivation. For the neo-nazis the swastika is still a very powerful symbol and the use of it is completely forbidden. I think this is kind of dumb, but the knowledge, that a lot of dickbutts would be fapping over those swastikas, makes me kind of OK, with removing them.... But really: If IroN1c is right, and the reason is this little fucking note on the wall... Well, this is just fucking ridiculous...

It's cool, Germany--I'm upset about Hitler's-head-on-a-robot not returning, too.

The German Version of Wolfenstein doesn't even have Nazi in it. There are new models for all the enemies and the group is renamed to "wolfes" instead of Nazis.

Seems like they forgot to remove all content asociated with Nazis which is illegal in Germany outside of documentaries, art and other educational purposes. Since videogames legally aren't considered art it makes sense they pulled it from the shelves to prevent legal mesures.

Not that I personally agree with all of it (the legal situation) - it's totally understandable for Activision to do this.

Yeah, Activision basically had to do this to prevent getting sued. But the law is fucking dumb.

"For the neo-nazis the swastika is still a very powerful symbol and the use of it is completely forbidden."

You know what would make the Swastika LESS powerful? NOT having it completely forbidden. Seriously, it's not fucking rocket science. Germany only helps the neo-Nazis remain inspired and feel special by rendering sacred their most iconic symbol. It's ridiculous.

Banning certain words and images only make the bigots stronger and gives them a tool with which to offend.

@Alex: Wow, it looks like they removed all Nazi symbols from the game entirely. And gore. And they're still pulling the game from the shelves? That's seriously messed up.

Why do Germans get so fucking pissed off when we call them out for shit? They call us out on shit all the time calling us elitist and crap. God dammit Germany. You went from holocaust to thin skinned in 40 years. Christ.

Ironically German-Americans are some of the baddest asses I know. They're feeding you guys something over there.

"You know what would make the Swastika LESS powerful? NOT having it completely forbidden. Seriously, it's not fucking rocket science. Germany only helps the neo-Nazis remain inspired and feel special by rendering sacred their most iconic symbol. It's ridiculous."

I agree with that. But that's about the look of things. If it wouldn't be banned neo-nazis would flood the streets with Swastikas. The world public would tear Germany apart.

@ Xzyliac:
The holocaust happend before almost everyone here on Destructoid was even born, so it's only naturally if you're German and offend by someone associating you with one of the biggest crimes in the last hundred years when some stories like this come up.

There's more to Germany than just WW II, you know?

As far as I know, the recall has been Activision's decision alone. No German authorities have pressed them to do so. Of course one can argue they simply wanted to beat them to the punch.
Yet the local sensibilities towards this kind of imagery have nothing to do with denial. Quite the contrary, actually. Like Qouth said, swastikas are perfectly legal in any educational or artistic context, but pretty much considered glorification anywhere else. Although in the careless fictional environment of a game like Wolfenstein, I guess they would simply be dismissed as crude flippancy. It's really more of an overcautious sense of duty, and merely another symptom for our government's antiquated and largely ignorant approach to videogames.

Wow...German's getting pissed at Jim even though he's completely right.
Obviously he puts it in an exaggerated way to make a stronger point, but he's still right.
This is bullshit...it's censorship...and it's fascist.

How else can you see it?

This is much less disturbing than the recent revelation that Sir Jim's Wiki entry is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedia's deletion policy. How will the truth about Jim being Hitler and devouring babies be told to the masses now?

Oh, cruel DENIAL, what hast thou wrought??

They're in such deep denial.

I'm pretty sure Activision will just correct whatever oversight they made and release the game again. There's no need to facetiously pander to the notion that Germany is denying the holocaust or giving more power to swastikas. When your sarcasm is lost on the masses you only chum the waters for bigoted commentary.

Yeah I get it, censorship is wrong, but games aren't revered as art by the masses as of yet and therefore aren't given the same freedoms that films and books enjoy. As such I really can't blame Activision for making changes to allow them to sell their game in a country or preemptively pulling the game to make corrections to avoid a shitstorm.

Germany has been hanging out with the Turks again.

What about cod w@w

Tell me, do you know *anything* about modern Germany, Jim, or are you forever going to be stuck in this myopic Sun reader's mindset of yours?

I'll be the first to agree that Germany's censors are a little too strict on this stuff, but you can sort of begin to rationalise their (over)reaction: put simply, they don't want history to repeat itself. You, on the other hand, seem to think it's because they want to DENY their history. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I mean, you seriously think Germany as a nation indulges in Holocaust denial? I hope you're being tongue-in-cheek. Maybe you are, and I missed the joke. But if not, get a clue, you prat. Throughout all German schools, pupils are educated extensively about the Holocaust. The German government regularly stages memorial services for those killed in the Holocaust (most recently in Buchenwald), while denying the Holocaust is illegal in Germany.

"The German government has been acting like the Third Reich more and more lately."

Jesus Christ, the stupidity just hurts. But keep it up, Jimmy. You'll eventually get that Daily Mail column you crave. Right next to Littlejohn.