Recent articles
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.
Comment on this article
Please sign in to add your comments.
User comments
The factors involved are too big and unanswerable to justify a ban. Aggression and violence are in peoples genes, society builds barriers to help people not want to be violent. Are aggressive people attracted video games to vent their pent up desires and sometimes are not satisfied? If so then banning violent video games is simply adding to the problem as they will have to find satisfaction elsewhere. Do violent video games make people who usually have very good violence controls turn violent? I doubt it, but its possible. Its extremely arrogant of politicians to think they know these answers. Decades of intensive research is needed to answer this question to a degree of certainty were the people playing the games are criminals.
Posted by: matt608freemoney on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abuseViolence in children's games leads to playing with aggression. I am in the UK where people are looking to start children with harmony and education in their lives. Lets hope Gordon Brown has a frown against violent games it is a far cry from Jackanory and Romper Room.
Posted by: cailinanamaith on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abuseThis is ridiculous, i play many violent computer games and they don't make me want to go out and kill people! Maybe they should be cracking down on guns after all they are the real problem, next their be banning violent films frickin rediculous!
Posted by: alien445226 on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abuseI wonder what they will try and ban once they discover that their stupid plan doesnt work.
Posted by: muishond11 on Tue Jun 09 04:57PM | Report abuseThis is pointless... Where will it end? Will the German government also ban driving games, because people may drive fast after playing them? After Dunblane (RIP), the UK banned the sale of fire arms and required a lengthy process in order to legitimately own them (farmers etc). All that happened was the sale of firearms went (further) underground. People who had used them for sport and hobby shooting were no longer able to do so, and people who wanted to use them for malice had to try, just a little, harder to acquire them. The net result was the decent, law-abiding, gun community were no longer able to enjoy their sport/hobby. Exactly the same will hapen with this knee-jerk reaction. People who want these games will go to elsewhere in the EU and take the games back with them. People who want to do harm to others still will. The only losers are the gamers (and the government through loss of taxes etc).
Posted by: jonbrabbs on Tue Jun 09 04:58PM | Report abuseTypical knee jerk reaction from retarded politicians. How did he get the gun, why didn’t the parents bring the kid up better, yada yada yada… Yet again politicians are taking a “shoot the messenger / punish us all for the actions of a minority” approach. Good luck to German gamers, vote the idiots out of power.
Posted by: lauriejkeefe on Tue Jun 09 04:58PM | Report abuseIt's up to the GAMER to distunguish between reality and a GAME. What about violent movies?
Posted by: lioneldsouza on Tue Jun 09 04:58PM | Report abuseWell, it's comforting to know that there are other governments in Europe ready to talk utter gob@#$%. Games dont make people want to kill other people... Serious psychiatric issues do that! Combine a person with serious psychotic issues with a violent game and you have a potential power keg. However, the ratio of gamers becoming murderous gun maniacs is no greater than men exposed to beautiful women who turn into rapists... The issue is there to begin with... Deal with WHY... Removing the game will only ever make it manifest in another way... Just as likely to be fatal...
Posted by: mordekai_thurloe on Tue Jun 09 04:58PM | Report abusegames dont do this people do stop wasting our time
Posted by: sam.andrews91 on Tue Jun 09 04:58PM | Report abuseFinally one govenerment has seen sense.... Growing up is a learning process, Violent video game teach you how to "kill" with indifference... Mix that with the emotional @#$%tail that is adolesense... I hope other govenerments pick up on the idea real soon.
Posted by: alascott2001 on Tue Jun 09 04:58PM | Report abuse