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The online edition of German news magazine Der Spiegel has revealed that interior ministers urged against ‘Killerspiele' (killer games) during a conference held last Friday. Although details are only being shared in English via online translations such as this, it seems clear that German ministers are now serious about preventing another incident like Winnenden on 11 March where a 17-year-old shot 15 people. The previous evening the shooter had been playing the game "Far Cry 2".
Spiegel Online details that the ministers have appealed for "an explicit production and dissemination ban as soon as possible", preventing the development and distribution of all games considered to be violent within Germany.
The Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) software ratings board already stands in the way of many violent games being released in Germany. The blockbuster "Gears of War" series for Xbox 360 is among them. However the key issue with the latest appeal to the Bundestag, the German equivalent of the British Parliament, is that violent videogames may not be produced on German soil. This would be hard on German based developer Crytek, coincidentally responsible for the original "Far Cry".
Winnenden isn't the first tragedy to move government officials against violent games, and especially those that involve shooting other people. The Columbine High School massacre of 1999 brought that same year's E3 videogame convention under US government scrutiny, forcing first-person-shooters - in particular ultra-realistic ‘simulation' Soldier of Fortune - behind closed doors, viewable by appointment only. In the case of Columbine it was id Software's "Doom" held responsible.
Do violent videogames beget violent gun-toting youths? Are the German ministers over-reacting, or even acting to be seen to be acting? If the German ministers' appeals are accepted, and if the decision proves to be popular overseas, it's likely that UK MPs will see vote-winning opportunities in this country too.
Prudence or politics? You decide.
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AT LAST SOMEONE CAN SEE THE CONECTION WITH THE MINDLESS KILLINGS AND THESE VIOLENT "GAMES" LETS HOPE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT HAVE THE GUTS TO DO THE SAME AND STOP THESE INSTEGATORS OF MURDER AND CRIME
Posted by: andywillden on Tue Jun 09 05:00PM | Report abuseThere is enough violence and mayhem in the world without importing it into homes as well. You just have to watch the news in the evening to hear reports of murders, beatings, gang violence, wars, threats of carnage, suicide bombs etc. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, what sort of a future are we setting up for our children and grandchildren?
Posted by: johnamoore39 on Tue Jun 09 05:00PM | Report abuseIf they were to take the games away they would turn into a credit crunch because a lot of games that are "Violent" make a lot of money take they away and you will have 3 things. Angry customers, angry shop owners and less of a chance of winning the elcection
Posted by: jamieshields on Tue Jun 09 05:00PM | Report abuseIn all my time having come across countless stories of terrible crimes be it individual murders or mass attacks by the lost and often socially outcast type individuals... It is my estimation that the "Politicians" are "Always doing a dis-service" to both the people of their respective nations and to the industries which they often target as "The one to blame". This is Ive lost count how many times is a "Cheap and easy excuse" to be A) More ultra conservative and closed minded (i.e. the sort that rant about how "All or most" of our young people today are BAD") and B) to deflect attention from the underlying societal causes which "Breed" such lost and sociopathic individuals (of both female n male variety it must be said). It's often "Not an quick n easy vote winner" by investing money in educating and enlightening/engineering social responsibility and change for the better by for example properly training sufficient Care n support staff especially for families who are lacking n very much needing such support nor the decades old issue of "poverty" and those whove fallen out of the mainstream education/society system...things many Goverments across the planet need but too often dont get (Maybe with Barack however things may start to change in future). But No, my answer is that, the games should of course be given stricter "Age certificates" - which often they aren't (example would be blood guts n gore often only have a 15 Cert whilst sexual or real world themes say glorifying crime like stealing cars etc are given 18 even when they could be violnce wise far far tamer and many maybe even far tamer than the softest of soft @#$%graphy on the net too at that). Politicians far too often take our silence and confusion as weakness and use it to try and further their own poltical bases of support by "Trampling" on this industry or other and claiming their "Doing it for the moral good". To those who'd argue that "These games cause violence etc" - Its not these games that "Cause violence", but rather these people who have become so lost in the world (bad relationships with family n friends?) and end up absorbed in the fantasy of "intense emotions"...so that they can "feel something good but in reality only a "High" in their lives they often miss by feeling so outcast (for whatever reason). Drugs, Cigarettes, alcholosim you name it...some video games simply provide a similar respite/abode for these "lost individuals". Furthermore it often must upset their "gun lobby" financial backers in the US and places which have easy access to Guns/weapons by civilians, to ever consider that the freeness of availablity of weaponry is a cause. Yes, Guns n Knives are both dangerous instruments but say if a person went on a knife rampage instead of a Machine gun rampage, which one would those of scenarios would we of sensible mind estimate to be the more lethal overall? Undercurrents of violence in societys often breed such terrible incidents. Even in the "affluent western world", there exists many prejudices and many "Have nots" the modern generations need good role models and better guidance without every aspect of the authorities and media to constantly barrage them with the undeserved totles of "Your all Bad and you have it easy"...they may have it "Easier" in "some" ways nowadays than those say in our 30s+...but in another way they also have it harder in many many other ways don't they if we ever consider placing ourselves in their shoes for once. S.L
Posted by: cy2288 on Tue Jun 09 05:00PM | Report abuseYet another over reaction from the Germans regarding computer games. I have played video games for over 20 years, many of them "violent" I have never once had the desire to re-enact anything in reality or had thoughts towards violent tendancies. I am a responsible human being with thought for others. I could say a lot more about this, but there's no room
Posted by: flobdeth on Tue Jun 09 05:00PM | Report abuseGames dont make people violent - if they did then we'd have an epidemic of gamers going on gun toting rampages as a lot of games that would be classed as violent have a following of millions but unfortunatly only one person has to snap or be mentally unstable and all gamers have to suffer the backlash
Posted by: bio_hazard83 on Tue Jun 09 05:00PM | Report abusewhy not just ban guns? guns are designed to kill, videogames are designed to entertain.
Posted by: shambala180 on Tue Jun 09 05:01PM | Report abuseSeriously, ive been playing shooters for ags since i was about 12 i think, sum of my favorties are far cry 2 and crysis both co-incedentally made and developed by crytek. They make exceptional with intriguing story lines and landscapes and settings. Many livelyhoods will be completely destroyed by this immenent threat, i think the main problem is under 18 yr olds getting hold of 18 rated games such as these and GTA. One of the most voilent games i played to be honest not a big fan. THe more like real life the better seeing the surrounding scenery react as u move or shoot through it and its affect on and by light amazing. Pioneers of this are crytek. It think in all games like this shud not be banned just more highly regulated as to who gets to play and be exposed by them.
Posted by: john.rayson on Tue Jun 09 05:01PM | Report abuseUtter tosh! Why can't people accept that some people are just a*seh*les?! The vast majority of people that play violent games don't go out and do this sort of thing. The statistics must be tiny, 1 in a million or more....
Posted by: shaselkais on Tue Jun 09 05:01PM | Report abusewell i have played and completed many shooter games and havent had any urge to go kill people.... i think its an over reach from politicians who cant control crime rates and need something to blame!
Posted by: nelw2002 on Tue Jun 09 05:01PM | Report abuse