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CS responsible for ban on violent games
Author: Wil HarrisPublished: 13th December 2006
Not the sort of thing you'll see in Germany.
The Guardian reports that acts of violence in a game world against another could attract prosection from German police.
The proposed law would ban "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters" within a game, and could provide for up to a year in jail for gamers or games companies engaging in or promoting in-game violence. Can you imagine going to jail for fragging someone?
Günther Beckstein, a senior Bavarian politician, recently asserted that there is a direct connection between games and violence, after a student gunned down 37 people in a local school, injuring them, before killing himself. The student was a big CS fan. "It is absolutely beyond any doubt that such killer games desensitise unstable characters and can have a stimulating effect," Beckstein said.
The point we repeatedly make at bit-tech is that games do not make killers out of kids - mental problems make killers out of kids, and addressing the issue through banning games rather than mental health treatment simply addresses the symptom, not the cause.
Now is also probably a good time to mention that Penny Arcade's annual Child's Play charity drive is on right now, which brings gamers together to suppot sick kids in hospitals. Let's prove to these people that games can be a force for good, not violence.
Discuss gaming laws and Child's Play over in the forums.
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Comments (34)
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i agree with that in some repsects, ie if they are nutty to begin with a violent game isnt going to discourage them from acting out the violence. however tarring everyone with the stupid brush is realyl the wrong way to go about it.
if you cant have violent games because it makes people killers, you cant have racing games because everyy speeds, you cant have gambling games as it encourages heavy gambliing what is their left do we all have to play my little pony rainbow adventure from now on
*edit*
didnt even see the other article, i better not go for that zombie genocide achievemnt on dead rising. thats gotta be worth the death penalty lol
I'm 21, I know i can't go out and shoot someone. But imagine an 8 year old for instance, they play CS, the kill a CT with a glock. They see daddy's gun lying around so take it for a spin, see a police officer and shoot them.
I know this cant really happen in Europe but it is possible in the states.
What I do not agree with is allowing kids their own computers/consoles, it makes them lazy (i am coming back on topic right.....now) and as it is all they do for "fun" this can then seep into their lives.
It is more related to young and impressionable minds than adults, but then again, the kids of today will be the adults of tomorrow so I guess you have to start it somewhere.
Maybe these games should be over 18s then?
EDIT: Leeum posted whilst I was writing that, I was unaware of that being in place already, which goes to show it is not being enforced properly.
I was reading on the BBC that panto stars aren't allowed to throw sweets into the crowd incase the kids are allergic to nuts, its stupid! If I could keep my computer I'd go back to the 1940's
Ah, an auspicious period for Ze Germans to be sure...
if only i could live there *sniffle*
i have studied psychology in college so I'm not an authority by any means however what i did learn, and know from personal experience, lines right up with what has been said. if the Germans are right then all of us who enjoy a nightly frag fest should be robbing the corner convenience store just for kicks. if there is such a pretense to be violent after playing such games then there the ratio of violent acts in this world to video game sales should be directly proportional. instead those who like to panic about everything seem to want to ruin things for everyone. German gamers, our prayers are with you.
...this is simply idiotic...
Banning adult games for kids, ok I agree, but banning games for everybody including adults is just stupid.. Instead of taking the easy way out by banning it all they should enforce the current laws better, don't allow retail to sell adult games to kids.. Rest is the responsability of the parents..
And if they really think banning such games helps they should ban a lot more, violent movies and TV-programs etc aswell.. Ban it all, censor the whole society, total state-control!!!
Luckily I live in a free country..
Phil
and yes, this is simply idiotic, what about violent movies and books?
if you think about it... after this more people will start becoming more violent because they cant play video games to unleash their stress upon virtual humans and will start using it against real humans...... even football (and American football) games will be banned because you can tackle and hit figures of humans.
caution with your words.....
Child's Play is a really really really great idea!!!!!!
As I mentioned in another thread: I'm 22 goddamnit! I do know what is real and what is not. I knew with 10, I know now. My parents told me. Yea, I had good parents talking to me not letting the TV talk to me. That's the major problem with kids over here: They're educated by TV shows not by parents and school.
Ban the games, make possession illegal, make playing illegal... I don't care. I bought them for a lot of money, I'm an adult (if only in a terms of law) and I won't accept anyone to tell me what to possess and what not. If I don't hurt anybody or cut down somebody's rights etc I am ****ing free to do whatever I want. Every day in my entire life with every decision.
Thanks Germany for making me as a PC addict such a nice place to live in.
// edit: And about the Jew thingy... Godwin's Law. Better than saying 'stupid', right?
This wont do anything unless you pick out the crazy children and try and fix them, no person in there right mind, that I know of, would go shoot up a crowd.
The biggest problem is that the people making the laws are not the ones who have either grown up with or indeed ever played any games. Pretty much all of us here know games, we have grown up with them and enjoy them so we can see the other angle and look at these things a little differently to those in the positions of power.
lets ban water to avoid the existance of such guys in the future.........
i know thats a pretty extreme example..... but i think it shows good how stupid banning games is.......
those guys should also consider the side effects banning games would have.....
in addition to 1000's of people being suddenly unemployed.....
computer sales will go down.....
and with it earnings from taxes for the country......
austria and switzerland wont see any games translated to german anymore...
aon`aTv.gsus666, do you have a steam account full of games that I could take off your hands. :D
Just kidding
Sorry.Mum.
Godwin's Law applies specifically for the mention of Nazi's or Hitler, not the Second World War in general, battles that were faught or any war crimes that took place within. 'Stupid'.
Didn't want to insult anyone...
End of off topic.
i love violent games, the best of which is Soldier of fortune 2.... shot gunning limbs off before the enemy hits the floor is great fun. GoW multiplayer is awesome too..i love curb stomping people after i down them.
as much as i'd like to see tony blaire be given a swift kick in the nuts, and gordon brown an even swifter one....the games dont make me wanna go out and leave a bloody trail of dead labour MP's in my wake as i seek to destroy them. no labour are capable of doing that on their own :P
i've killed countless times in games, but never felt the urge to go do it for real, i wont even join the army. im still attached to the real world...if your not your either a labour MP or nuts.
you're grounded!! go to your room!! :p