Germany considers banning violent games

Written by Joe Martin

June 8, 2009 | 13:02

Tags: #ban #censor #controversy #crysis #germany #politics #violence

Companies: #crytek #government

In response to a recent school shooting in Winnenden, Germany sixteen Interior Ministers have asked the Bundestag to put a ban on violent videogames within Germany - one which would totally prevent the distribution and development of violent games within German borders.

GamesPolitics reports that the ministers are hoping to get the ban fully enforced before the next German elections, which take place on September 27th.

If the proposal is accepted then any developers making violent games within Germany would be forced to either relocate entirely or to outsource all development to other countries - the biggest of the potentially affected developers being Crytek, who only just announced a new game, Crysis 2. Oh dear.

While a proposal of this type might not gain much of a following in most countries, it's worth remembering that the German rating system is already pretty strict with violent videogames - with the German ratings body going so far as to require alterations to the cover art for Left 4 Dead.

The proposal is also gaining a lot of attention as it comes in the wake of a school shooting in which sixteen people were killed, with the killer being revealed as a Far Cry 2 and Counter-Strike fan - though our personal feeling is that, if a widely-played computer game was enough to make you go on a killing spree, then it's likely there was a deeper problem to begin with.

What are your opinions on violent computer games and censorship? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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