In recent times, Germany has become Ground Zero in the debate over video game violence.
Consider that the German Parliament is expected to consider a total ban on the production and distribution of violent games next month. Meanwhile, top-tier developer Crytek (Far Cry, Crysis) has threatened to relocate out of the country if the ban becomes law.
In the latest development, EA exec Gerhard Florin (left) has called for Germany to drop its USK content rating system in favor of the PEGI system, which is widely in use in other European nations. Said Florin:
What we're doing here [with USK rating] is censorship. And no one 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.
USK boss Marek Brunner took issue with Florin's criticism:
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?
Brunner noted that other government bodies influence the type of game content which can be sold, including the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons and the criminal courts.
Via: gamesindustry.biz
Comments
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
The rebuttal is amusing, simply for the fact that, apparently, whilst the USK feel perfectly qualified to judge other people's standards for them, they take exception to the fact that someone 'dared' to tell them what to do...
Sauce for the Goose...
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
"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?"
Uh... Is that seriously his idea of a rebuttal? A summary of the other person's views is not exactly a compelling argument that they are "half-truths".
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
At least movies can be released unrated in America free from the censoring MPAA.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
They can but there are very few theaters that will show unrated movies.
Andrew Eisen
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
The german censorship regime for films and video games is disgusting. Their government's views on Free Speech are akin to Kim-Jong-Ill of North Korea. How they can call themselves a democracy i don't know. They should call it a nannystateocracy.
"No law means no law" - Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black on the First Amendment
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Yeah yeah, like Kim-Jong-Il.
And America's view on capital punishment are akin to China's or North-Korea's. Their Drug policy is similar to Singapoore's, their fear of sexuality and its depiction is the same as its suppression in Afghanistan during the Taliban's rule... etc.
They seriously call this shitty excuse for an oligarchy a Democracy?
...
As a German annoyed by our cencorship I can only say this to you:
F*ck off.
America isn't the model for democracy you'd like to believe, we just have different values over here.
If you're not American: your country isn't either.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Insane exaggerations aren't exactly helping our case.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Then be lucky you don't live in America, where the MPAA censors movies, the FCC television and radio, and at age 15 it was easier for me to buy alcohol, tobacco, and pornogoraphy than it was for me to buy a video game at age 25.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Then come to britain, where we tend (save manhunt 2 and carmaggedon) not to give a crap about the controversies surrounding video games, and that our anti video game lobby is as powerful as a feather, and their leader is a mayor Quimby expy.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
The germans are hitting those negative waves on us.
What we got here is failure to communicate!
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Gremany and Auz land need to adopt pegi....just so games are properly labled....
Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy! Stop supporting big media and furthering the criminalization of consumers!! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/what-is-cigital-disobedience/
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Do you suppose they're trying to ban violent games because nearly every WW2 shooter features them as the bad guy?
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
By that logic everything that talks about WW2 should be ban because Germans were the bad guy.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
And if you notice, Germany has been trying to bury that part of their past. Just like Japan. But unlike Japan, their trying to bury it is only leading them towards repeating it.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Yeah right.
Re: EA Exec Accuses German Government of Game Censorship
Although of course, out of the few games actually banned in Germany, NONE (except good old Wolfenstein3D) is a WW2 shooter. The only other game actually banned with a world war 2 setting is "Commandos - Behind enemy lines". Both of these games are banned because of their use of swatzikas, not because of their depiction of violence (like almost all other banned games) - today all developers just use some other symbol for their German versions.
Do your homework next time please before saying unfounded BS.
@Unruly
Never heard a more uninformed commentary. As a German I can tell you that German pupils are practically tortured with WW2, not only in their history classes, but also in almost any other subject. No topic (NO TOPIC AT ALL) takes up nearly as much time in German school classes.
So nothing like Japan.