Dutch Minister Will Investigate Rating System, May Ban Some Games
Dutch Minister Will Investigate Rating System, May Ban Some Games
January 17, 2007
European concerns over video game violence continue to mount.In the latest development, ANP reports that Dutch Minister of Justice, Ernst Hirsch Ballin (left) plans to investigate whether or not his country's rating system is working in regard to violent game content.
In remarks made at an EU meeting on Tuesday, Ballin said he believes some Dutch retailers may not be properly enforcing the ratings:
Not all games manufacturers and video stores work with us. It may be possible that we'll have to ban the most violent games.
Pointing out that neighboring Germany already has bans in place for some of the more violent games, Ballin said that consistency between nations should be considered.
GP: Thanks to readers A Dutch Gamer and Marius for sending this story in. We especially appreciate Marius' translation of the original article.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 11/08/09 at 09:02am
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yez7jyo
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yez7jyo
Posted 11/08/09 at 09:01am
DarkSaber: Oh for gods sake, the Gearbox pres is gobbing off about Valve again
DarkSaber: Oh for gods sake, the Gearbox pres is gobbing off about Valve again
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:53am
JDKJ: But cheer up, Austin. If the unemployment rate continues to double-digit as predicted for the next few years, your half-dozen stands a better than likely chance of returning to power.
JDKJ: But cheer up, Austin. If the unemployment rate continues to double-digit as predicted for the next few years, your half-dozen stands a better than likely chance of returning to power.
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:46am
JDKJ: @DS: If he had added the line about "or hiring illegals aliens under the table to work as nannies," it would have been a completely perfect descripition. And, yes, it's about the same difference between a six and a half-dozen.
JDKJ: @DS: If he had added the line about "or hiring illegals aliens under the table to work as nannies," it would have been a completely perfect descripition. And, yes, it's about the same difference between a six and a half-dozen.
Posted 11/08/09 at 08:31am
DarkSaber: My god, that description makes them sound almost Republican. Still what did you expect, Obama is only marginally more left than republicans.
DarkSaber: My god, that description makes them sound almost Republican. Still what did you expect, Obama is only marginally more left than republicans.
Posted 11/08/09 at 01:07am
Austin_Lewis: Health insurance, brought to you by the same kind of bureacrats who couldn't, in timely fashion, investigate the comments of any of the men Obama appointed Czars. Or their past. Or their history of not paying taxes.
Austin_Lewis: Health insurance, brought to you by the same kind of bureacrats who couldn't, in timely fashion, investigate the comments of any of the men Obama appointed Czars. Or their past. Or their history of not paying taxes.
Posted 11/08/09 at 01:06am
Austin_Lewis: Yes, and what a piece of crap it was. Arresting and fining people just because they don't make a personal choice to buy healh insurance, creating over a hundred new bureacracies, and worse.
Austin_Lewis: Yes, and what a piece of crap it was. Arresting and fining people just because they don't make a personal choice to buy healh insurance, creating over a hundred new bureacracies, and worse.
Posted 11/08/09 at 12:24am
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:the only trouble is a bunch of witless hacks wrote it....its going to be a train wreck....
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:the only trouble is a bunch of witless hacks wrote it....its going to be a train wreck....
Posted 11/07/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: In a photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in a fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
JDKJ: BREAKING: In a photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in a fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
I agree that violent games should not be sold to minors, but banning them??
Those politicians probably don't even know that an incredibly large amount of players is adult.
And isn't there a responisibility for the parents? I see lots of parents buying GTA for their way underage children, they probably don't even know what they are buying.
So banning violent videogames......shouldn't they also be banning violent- and pornmovies then? They are also harmful for little children.... And what about the internet? they might as well shut it down because minors can view 'inapropriate' content.
Ban alcohol and softdrugs because minors can get it.
Don't they see this action will be totally ridiculous?! What they should do i.m.o.:
1. Punish stores for selling games to minors (just as cigarettes and alcohol)
2. place even bigger age ratings on the box (a lot of people obviously don't see those)
3. Make parents aware of the problem by using commercials (S.I.R.E. where are you?)
Will Hirsch Ballin get his way? Well it will all be up to the EU and not the Netherlands alone. One thing is for sure and that is that it will have an effect on the industry and the consumers will get to pay the bill.
@ Daniel,
===
It’s amazing that one moron in Germany goes and shoots some people and that’s set off a chain reaction that is going to imprison innocent gamers possibly. This is madness and it needs to stop right now.
===
Funny thing a cuople of years ago i thought the same thing when you substitute Germany for America and gamers for Moslims.
My point being let's not give the crazy people in the world the power to set in motion that kind of chain reaction. Where 1 person does something does not mean that a whole group is responsible. Or to put it into more simple words...Let's all be carefull so the innocent will not suffer needlessly in an attempt to stop the guilty.
That's a great comment. The innocent people shouldn't have to suffer because of the guilty people. You're absolutely right.
Poor guy. Doesn't he know that when he speaks on his own except as a mouth piece of his party, he gets raped?
Protip: no drug is legalized in the Netherlands. Soft drugs are 'tolerated', meaning you are allowed to use them, and carry very small amounts on you.
It's always hilarious to see American potheads get arrested because they walk around with ten metric tons of freshly-purchased weed.
Why do we even bother?
Daniel. I think you just one the completely out of touch award.
"I think you just won the completely out of touch award."
For like the fifth month running...I think it has to have been legalized for at least 50 years for Mr. History Major to get it.
@Daniel:
"...hey I don’t have my head up my ass."
So whose ass is it, then?
I meant marijuana is legal in some EUROPEAN COUNTRIES and I think that Holland is one of them. I didn't say your head was up your ass. I said the politicians in Europe have their heads up their asses because they sometimes allow drugs but are agianst video games and, unlike violent video games, drugs are dangerous. I know drugs are illegal in America, but in some European countries it's allowed. At least, that's what I've heard.
"HIGHLY doubt that."
Because!?
@ Jordan
Yes, there is. On Europian level in the Europian Accord of Human Rights, and in the Dutch constitution in article 7.
Artikel 7
1. Niemand heeft voorafgaand verlof nodig om door de drukpers gedachten of gevoelens te openbaren, behoudens ieders verantwoordelijkheid volgens de wet.
2. De wet stelt regels omtrent radio en televisie. Er is geen voorafgaand toezicht op de inhoud van een radio- of televisieuitzending.
3. Voor het openbaren van gedachten of gevoelens door andere dan in de voorgaande leden genoemde middelen heeft niemand voorafgaand verlof nodig wegens de inhoud daarvan, behoudens ieders verantwoordelijkheid volgens de wet. De wet kan het geven van vertoningen toegankelijk voor personen jonger dan zestien jaar regelen ter bescherming van de goede zeden.
4. De voorgaande leden zijn niet van toepassing op het maken van handelsreclame.
Article 7
1 Noone needs advance permission to print ideas or feelings, save for the responsibilities bound by the law.
2 The law has regulations on radio and television. There will be no advance screening of radio and television.
3 To bring out ideas and feelings out in the open by means other then those mentioned before, noone needs advance permition for it's contents, save for the responsibilities as bound by the law. The law can regulate showings to people below the age of 16 to protect them.
I'd say, there is some room to use to ban (violent) games outright, but quite honestly I don't see that happen here too quickly. Hirsch Ballin is mostly refering to the rating system until the age of 16. I can't remember a movie or anything being banned here. Well, Mein Kampf is banned I think, but that's it.
The opposition to both Christian parties is big, however. And the investigation is mostly to the rating system. It's scary because now FF VII is blamed, but I don't think it will catch on here.
Mr. Hirsch Ballin spoke on this subject from the view of his party not as much as a minister of the current cabinet. His political party is also in favour of an anti-soft drug policy. Which is in complience of EU law. So in that case he is not being hypocrytical.
Altough i still be believe he is wrong. I am afraid that this will result in a lot of money being spend to ban certain games and introducing officials that enforce the law by checking to see if gamestores do not sell violent games to young people. Not to mention the illegal games. While there is no way to prevent a simiular situation from happening, like what happened in Germany. Just by checking the age of the consumer or banning certain games. Maybe they should add a sticker next to the adviced age sticker saying..."if you are menthal or a down right psycho, DO NOT buy this game"!!!
@ Jordan
Yes we have such a thing which does look like a first amendment for the entire EU, except the DUTCH ( and the French) voted against it so now we are without descent protection of our civil rights.
@ Iliad
The Dutch are known for their open-mindedness and relax attitude to sex and drugs.
@ doggy spew-
Stop using the babelfish when you're not hitchhiking ; )
here a different (imho better) translation
Berlin-
The two Gymnasium (In various European countries: a top-grade secondary school which prepares pupils for university) students that stabbed a couple to death in the Northern Germany's town called "Tessin", were possibly inspired by the violent videogame called Final Fantasy VII.
The 17 year old boys rang the doorbell and stabbed the 46 year occupant to death, and then murdered his 41 year old wife aswell.
After that they tried to make their getaway using their victims car and by taking a 15 year old girl hostage.
The two boys drove trough the garden fence and ran into a parked car. The girl got away unharmed.
The detectives assigned to the case confiscated the computers of the two boys. According to "Bild"(German newspaper/magazine) the two boys called eachother "Sephiroth and Reno". The names of two warriors in the game. The former kills civilians with his sword and the other is supposed to kill the leader of "the good guys"in the game.
The European ministers of justice and internal affairs came in Dresden to an agreement yesterday.
To ban the sales of violent computergames to children. Franco Frattini, European commisionar for justice and internal affairs said that there could be done more to tackle this problem. Pointing out practical mathers like, better checking procedures as for the age of the children buying these games.
The German minister of justice Zypries (SPD) announced that a summary will be posted on the website of the EU. So parrents and consumers can see what games are appropriate for children.
Frattini and the German ministers are adding this problem to their agenda after the incident in november, concerning an 18 year old student from the West-German town "Emsdetten", who injured 5 people and then commited suïcide. He was also had a predilection for/to violent videogames.
As a Dutch citizen we should expect to lose our soft drugs legislation (I don't care that much about this) but also things such as euthanesia and abortion. And it will certainly not end there. I expect that the EU will get as much power as the governments (with other words, they will become osbolete or will become like Provincial State). The so-called constitution gives the EC more power instead of handing the power to the European Parlement as it should, since they are democratically chosen. And there is way more than this, like a EU tax system instead of our own system. This will most certainly mean that we might lose things like AWBZ, AOW, WIA, etc. Just to show that a law against violent videogames will not be the only thing that we have to take up the rear as Europeans.
The problem is that we as a country are no match against the other member countries. Most countries aren't as liberal as us and thus a lot of things will change for the Netherlands. Even when they reduce the power of Germany and France, we will still lose a lot of our liberal laws and other things.
Yes, unfortunately there was a homocide in Germany they are linking to a game again. Honesly, who on earth can think a game such as FF VII is violent? I think the EU is really going too far this time (and the media). When they continue they might decide to ban almost every single game, even a game such as WoW or Warhammer. And the problem is that Germany either already is or is going to lead the EU for 6 months. And the things they want to achieve are about gaming and they want to try to push a new constitution as fast as possible. With other words, they will probably try to do this without asking the citizens of Europe if we agree with it.
I really hate the EU and I think the Dutch government should have asked us what we wanted. It should have never gotten as fas as it is now. It should only have been a trade union and nothing more. I don't want my government to have to ban almost every game because they now even consider FF VII to be violent. It is just unbelievable how they dare to make a link between games and violence, just because someone plays games. Gaming is the prefered hobby of more and more people nowadays and it is very normal to find a videogame in almost every home.
Anyway, here is the article about FF VII on IGN:
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/755/755900p1.html
Was there a double homicide in Germany in the last week that the media had claimed involved FF VII? Little Gamers was mocking the media coverage, but I can't find anything in the news. Of course I'm just looking at the english stuff...
http://www.little-gamers.com/index.php?comicID=1520
> dumb question,do the dutch have odd flim rules/laws like every other OTT socialistic goverment?
Neither do we have odd film rules nor an OTT socialistic goverment (to my tastes at least...)
Au contrare, I think you will find most Dutch films shocking by American standards. Dutch filmmakers in Hollywood also tend to make controversial films.
Also, the CDA (Christian Democrats), Hirch Ballins' party, and the biggest party in our government, has ideals that I think come closer to those of your Repuplican Party then a socialist party.
I don't know what Hirsch Ballin is thinking though. It's a bit scary to think that even a game like FF VII is now cause for alarm by some.
I agree that minors shouldn't be allowed to just purchase any form of entertainment, but to BAN 'violent' games even for adult audiences would be wrong.
I don't think this is going to fly though.
That is because you are ignorant.
"Au contrare, I think you will find most Dutch films shocking by American standards. Dutch filmmakers in Hollywood also tend to make controversial films."
HIGHLY doubt that.
However the new government will be have a have more socialist face, since it will have one true socialist party, one Christian party and the CDA.
the phail meter is going off the charts.
KN, we need you! repulse the censorcrat invaders!!
sad is it not?
dumb question,do the dutch have odd flim rules/laws like every other OTT socialistic goverment?
No, you're not the only one... you took the words right out of my mouth! :)
Ditto ;)
ON Topic:
I'm very surprised to see something like this coming out of The Netherlands. I highly doubt this will go through there though. The Netherlands is the hub of Free Speech and Freedom of lifestyle in all of Europe. Also, i don't think the average Dutchman would go for something like this. The Dutch tend to be very liberal when it comes to civil liberties.
Actually let me refrese that. The European Dutch tend to be very liberal when it comes to civil liberties. The American and Canadian Dutch on the other hand happen to be very religious and ultra conservative. I know because i'm of Dutch ancestry. It's funny how there is such a big difference.
Here is the babelfish translation, so please see through the obvious mistakes:
computer game beginning to double assassination by ARJAN PAANS BERLIN -
Tthe two gymnasiasten that Saturday night in Noord-Duitse the village Tessin have a couple stabbed, had been possibly inspired by the violent video game Final Fantasy VII. The 17 person whose birthday it is boys rang Saturday night at a house and strikes firstly the 46 person whose birthday it is occupant dead and afterwards its 41 person whose birthday it is spouse. Afterwards they tried there with the car of the couple vandoor, go whereas they took along an 15-one year old little girl as an hostage. The boys windows the tuinhek and botsten just as later a car parked on. The little girl was released unhurt. The recherche has meanwhile confiscated the computers of the boys. According to Bild the boys each other as Sephiroth and Reno, names will have addressed of krijgers from the game. The first kills onschuldige citizens with its sword, the second Reno which must kill the leader of the ` Goeden in the game. The European ministers of justice and home affairs agreed yesterday in Dresden that they will try lay sale of violent computer game to children to links. Free Frattini, euro commissioner for justice and home affairs, said after the consultation in Dresden that there more can be done tackle the problem. He aimed with that especially on practical matter, such as better check of the age of children who want buy the game. The German minister of justice Zypries (SPD) kondigde an overview of all legislation which exists on this moment at national level soon on a Internet site of the EU will appear to that, so that consumers and parents can examine which game for children arranged to be. Frattini and the German ministers put the problem on the agenda after the incident in November, where a 18 person whose birthday it is schoolboy from the West-German Emsdetten on its school five wounded people and afterwards suicide committed. Also he had a craze for violent video game.
I just read an article about a murder being commited because of the "violent" game called (here it is) Final Fantasy 7.
I will look up that article.
Lots of mind altering substances are freely available because of the "tolerance" policy our governement is sooo proud of and now they are making plans to ban certain games because they could have a *unproven* mind altering effect?
Am I the only person that finds this quite hypocritical?
*sigh* Hooray for reactionary, out-of-touch politicians.