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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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I think banning games will not stop the problem, next they will be looking to ban violent films etc... on paper removing all firearms might help, but in the real world we all know thats not true. overall banning video games is a poor excuse.
Posted by: trevor_itq on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuseProbably sensible, but impossible to manage/police.
Posted by: gforcegerry on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuseIt makes me sad that people still blame games for people being violent :( I've been playing games since the NES era and have played most of the games that have been used as reasons why people have been violent and unfortunatly the actions of just one person will get games demonised. If these games made people go out and kill we'd be having an epidemic as games such as GTA have a fan base of millions.
Posted by: bio_hazard83 on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuseThis is complete and utter garbage. Okay so if violence is the issue then not just games are guilty surely will they ban Tom and Jerry? Roadrunner maybe? The Simpsons because of Itchy and Scratchy? Hell let's ban Bambi because of what happens to her mum..... They will have to ban a huge percentage of films, why not just ban everything and live in a ball of cotton wool - nice and safe there.
Posted by: jonjvic1980 on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuse"Prudence" I'd say and a decision that I think we in the UK ought to copy as well. There's no doubt that violent games are a big stimulant for anti-social behaviour (especially amongst youth). The UK might not have a level of gun-crime that's comparable to the US (or maybe Germany) but we still experience other manifestations of such video-games-glamorized violence. The sooner we do same, the better... Kudos to the German ministers!
Posted by: joelfru on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuseyes at last people taking seriously the threat that these hidious games present..hope its a worldwide ban before long..wont do any harm thats for sure!!!
Posted by: herbeedebz on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuseThey should ban violent movies too, oh and violent books, and if anyone has any violent thoughts, they should be crushed too. Idiots.
Posted by: h_duthie.t21 on Tue Jun 09 04:56PM | Report abuseThey are over reacting, Anyone who cant tell the difference between a game and real life should be put into a mental hospital. Its a pity the American goverment don't follow suit and put a ban on video games because then maybe we wouldnt have to listen to a load of boll.ix from ameri@#$%s while playing online.... lol Europe 1 : Usa 0
Posted by: alicaffrey on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abusePrudence.
Posted by: fletchersound on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abuseIt's about time governments banned these games AND movies that promote violence. I remember the impact that a seemingly innocent series like the A-Team had on my son, because the same actors keep reappearing the next week or shortly after he did not relate violence and death to reality. It all resulted in hime being picked up by the police with a gun in his school bag. Hollywood and these games producers need to understand the impact they have on society and to that end the content of their offerings should be monitored and controlled before being released to the public. It is truly amazing that violence is seen as okay when sex is a big big taboo, double standards prevail.
Posted by: camberwellboy on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abuse