EU takes aim at violent video games

[Don Maddox]

EU takes aim at violent video games - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/16/eu.games.reut/index.html?eref=rss_tech)

EU justice chiefs took aim at violent video games on Tuesday, agreeing to share information across the bloc on which games to outlaw and how, but leaving the final decision on bans with states themselves.



Are most violent video games currently banned in the EU?

[Adamaniac 791]

Apparently Germany takes an quite aggressive stance towards violent games, for example the Grand Theft Auto games released in Germany are censored so that the blood is removed and you cannot kick/beat corpses. I think a few other EU countries have stricter regulations on violent games too.

I don't think any games have been banned in the UK yet, I will be mega annoyed if games do start becoming banned over here though. That would force me to import titles such as GTA, and then of course I will have to account for regional compatibility issues etc. (e.g. if a UK PS3 won't accept a North American version of GTA:IV). I don't think the UK are so trigger happy to ban games though and as this news report says, its up to the EU member states to decide anyway.

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

I see that Germany's backing this mostly. They've censored videogames in the past: Wolfenstein had to be reconfigured for Germany because of some nazi imagery, and just recently the German videogame rating board refused to give Dead Rising for the 360 a rating, effectively banning it from Germany.

[Bootaaay]

Germany regularly censor most games released over there, games like Quake 4 have all the gore taken out from them for instance - also they refuse to rate certain games because they are just too violent in the German censorship boards opinion - games like Dead Rising, Gears of War and most recently, Crackdown, are effectively banned in Germanny.

As for the UK, Bully was recently banned from being sold at some retailers but the only game to ever be taken off the shelves would be Manhunt.

Greece also famousely failed to ban all electronic videogames in 2002 before it was determined to be unconstitutional.

[Steph]

Rule of Rose was released in Japan, and America, but the European release was cancelled due to its violent content. I remember reading that some UK papers were whinging about it. That's the only other one that i can think of, but Wikipedia has a list of games that have been banned in different countries: List of banned computer and video games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_video_games)

[mr_clark]

UNrated games are not banned but simply no more allowed to be publicly advertised and displayed. For banning there must happen more then just not rating them, a court has to intervene. Most shops catering software will have a version for you in no time provided your 18.

On Nazi symbolism things are a little different: It's against our Constitution to display most of the symbols, so yes the original version of such games are illegal. But then most publisher come up with a fix of such pre-rating hindering a ban.
And most games are localized for Germany anyways, with intesive new voice acting etc., just as with foreign movies/series/whatevers.
And companies tend to gladly take this additional hurdles as the market is intense...


As a PC gamer no mention that I disagree about the recent plans of our government, as I find our current laws good enough. Most violent stuff is only available on ID check and 18+.
It's just a big stirr again because a couple of days ago two teenagers robbed and killed a 40 something year old couple at their home...
Surely not nice, but now some newspapers start blaming the violence in Final Fantasy they played intensively is kinda stupid.
Seemingly they also played counterstrike (OHH BEHAVE!!!!), but then they also used Windows...