Germany: Extra Age Warning Labels on Mature Games?
Germany: Extra Age Warning Labels on Mature Games?
March 31, 2009
In the aftermath of this month's horrific Winnenden school shooting, criticism of violent video games in Germany has hit a fever pitch.
Although there are no details on the origin of this photo, it appears to show an extra age warning label slapped onto Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Germany's official USK label can be seen at lower left.
Are German retailers doubling up on age warnings?
Via: GoNintendo
Thanks to: Sharp-eyed GamePolitics correspondent Andrew Eisen...
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Posted 02/09/10 at 03:51pm
DarkSaber: I think he just goes round the internet copy+pasting the same bollocks to get attention.
DarkSaber: I think he just goes round the internet copy+pasting the same bollocks to get attention.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:41pm
Valdearg: @DS: I have to admit, I chuckled when I saw the 4 Feb 2010 on that post.. >.<
Valdearg: @DS: I have to admit, I chuckled when I saw the 4 Feb 2010 on that post.. >.<
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:31pm
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:30pm
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:20pm
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:18pm
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:14pm
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:13pm
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:09pm
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:07pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:02pm
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Posted 02/09/10 at 02:50pm
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:16pm
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:10pm
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:00pm
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:53pm
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
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Comments
I bet this will happen more and more until it has to be on every 18 rated game.
Funny, but I can't seem to get the image of the game to come up. Sounds controversial, though. ;)
"HEY! LISTEN!"
Wow, as if that big triangle wasn't taking up enough of the box, they have to slap another sticker on it.
Apparently, the USK logo isn't big enough yet. You didn't even see one of the corners!
I can't see the image, but Germany really has one heck of a label that takes 1/5 to 1/4 of the game cover...like they need anymore. Sorry Deutscheland, you are wasting your time :D
Truly it is just another knee jerk reaction to the school shooting. Society didn't fold over and ban everything because of Columbine or V-Tech. Instead we opted to learn (well...most of us) rather than to damn a form of media.
Video-games are getting the brunt...I'm curious what will be next if they start putting bans up. (actually the bans won't work, most people will rely on imports and pirating)
Wow, they keep that crap up and they might as well not do the box art.
Praetorian
"I've been told I'm the resident skeptic, but I wouldn't believe that."
http://www.myspace.com/pree_tawr_ee_uhn
Well, look on the bright side: at least they didn't outright ban it.
Oh, that's just silly. The sooner the games industry simply pulls out of Germany altogether, the better.
/b
I can't wait to see what they edited out of it.
How the heck can you miss the one on the lower left? If you miss that, how is the other going to help?
So that red square is actually printed on the box? That´s stupid.
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
It's going to end up as just the warning label with a sticker of the game in the corner
To me I say this is like wearing double condoms. Extra protection but is it really neccessary?
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I don't see how this is going to do anything, parents already ignore the huge rating sticker that was there before. It's kinda sad to see a parent who buys a game like this for their kid come back and say they had no idea it wasn't for kids when there is obviously a huge ass sticker on the box saying it isn't.
Or maybe it will be a warning label as the cover art with the name of the game put on it. :P
a typical dumb parent: what game is that? "and heft auto chinat war"? sounds like a great game Ill just ignore that weird 18 red thing like I allways do especialy since this game is not "grand theft auto" it must be ok since its only about hefting cars probably out of the way of the disabled or the elderly
There have been some extra warnings in some stores for years. But it looks like there is no system behind this. Not even within the same store.
Sometimes there are even extra boxes where they put the games in. Deep red for 18 and yellow for 16.
Didn't things work out better when game publishers gave themselves their own ratings, and people were fine with that? Adult games would have "ADULT game cartridge" printed on the box.
GameSnooper
The labels aren't all that big when you consider that this game 'box' is just a CD case. However, the notion that two stickers will be more effective than one is kinda ludicrous. On the other hand, who knows how the second sticker got there - could be a mistake, could simply be an overzealous store owner with a pile of free warning stickers. When I see stuff like this it just makes me think it's another slow news day for GP.
Actually, that is a DS case, and those aren't exactly big to begin with.
well... it beats a ban
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
So what game is under all of those stickers?
Don't know about the USK logo, but the other seems to be removable, so it's not too bad. I know the BBFC ratings in the UK have increased in size due to pressure from someone, and someone requested that they increase further in size to that of the USK logo here.
yknow if they ever end up with these big stickers you just know their gonna blame everyone but themselves when they start complaining that they cant read the title and so didnt know it was "THAT" game and bought it for their kid
You know, we can't make fun of them too much. Go buy a cup of coffee at McDonalds:
"WARNING - Coffee is hot."
You can blame that on a stupid lawsuit here in the states, where the judge ruled in favor of the person who got burned. >.>;;; My brain just hurts thinking about it.
I hate the knee-jerk reaction that that was a "stupid" lawsuit. The coffee was served boiling hot, literally, and gave the plaintiff burns over 22% of her body - including extensive third degree burns. She was in hospital for 2 years.
This is a signature virus. Please copy and paste into your signature to help it propagate.
Sorry, that lawsuit was completely and totally justified.
A reasonable person expects to get burned if they spill coffee.
A reasonable person does NOT expect to get third degree burns that require skin grafts if they spill coffee.
The original request, denied by McDonalds was simply for medical bills. That "huge" award she got wasn't termed in millions of dollars it was "One day of revenue from coffee" - not that big to McD's now, was it?
And that's why medical insurance costs are an issue in the US, because frivolous civil suits scare doctors into raising their prices.
GameSnooper
If people can't read the stickers which are already in place then I don't think more stickers are the answer. Adult literacy programs are the answer.
-Ultimately what will do in mankind is a person's fear of their own freedom-
Here's a little (very little) background on the jumbo ratings.
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/08/04/germany-game-ratings-bulk
Andrew Eisen
how about one huge sticker on the stores front door saying "warning if your too stupid to read the lables dont eneter this store ... you moron"
Calling peope morons might incite violence. It's Germany, after all.
My friend you hit the nail right on the head. If people can't read a label that sticks out like a sore thumb then yeah you shouldn't be allowed into the store to begin with. People complain about governments all the time saying they interfer with their affairs etc but then they don't wanna think for themselves and make their own decisions so they can't blame themselves when shit hits the fan. IMO we need to make it harder to survive in this world to hopefully weed out the ignorant and stupid who ruin things for all.
In Scapegoats We Trust
Germany already has strict videogame laws and some games can't even be displayed or advertised if they are deemed too violent. So enormous stickers isn't really surprising.
http://www.popularculturegaming.com
This looks familiar - the local Saturn (big electronics retail chain) uses these.
I know it sounds sad, but it's actually a step up. They used to have games above a 16 rating in transparent plastic boxes. The yellow ones for 16+ were only mildly annoying, but the dark red ones for 18+ really made you wonder, what genius came up with the idea to lock products into unmarked boxes that make it next to impossible to see what's in them. (This is probably the reason, why they don't use these boxes anymore.)
Saturn is the only retailer that uses the extra stickers though, I guess it's safe to assume, that the depicted box was one sold by them. Also, they really are ridiculously redundant.
In the end it all boils down to the parent: they buy the game, they live with the consequences.
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"What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time?"
School shootings huh?
Do they not see the real problem is that kids are getting their hands on guns?
Videogames DON'T make people kill people. Because most kids in afghanistan who own AK-47s, don't even know what a videogame is. And they kill like its a game.
Actually these Stickers where around BEFORE the USK-Logo was enlarged. I think its a voluntary thing, and maybe to inform their employees to not sell the game to people under 18.
They are not only on Videogames by the way. The same stickers can be found on DVDs for example. I dont mind them at all. Most of the time they are outside of the shrink-wrap or can be easily removed.