Germany getting ready to ban all violent video games

Germany getting ready to ban all violent video games

www.inquisitr.com

There’s nothing like a few rounds of Doom 3 or a bit of mayhem in GTA to ease the stress of the day. Sure there’s a lot of nonsense about violent video games being responsible for people committing violent acts but to date there has been no (reputable) conclusive studies that have proven that argument.

This fact apparently hasn’t stopped the German government from moving forward with a plan to ban all violent video games, which they define as “where the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or inhuman acts of violence against humans or manlike chara

(visit the link for the full news article)

How much longer will people keep looking as video games as a source of the cause of all violence in the world? There has been violence before video games. Most people overlook other factors that would drive people to kill other people. Video games don't kill people. People kill people. This is ridiculous. I know that some video games are a bit tad violent... but to ban them altogether? Germany in my mind no longer is a Democracy. A Democracy would allow for all forms of media to be free. They allow violent films but not violent video games? It just seems like they're using video games as a skapegoat. If you're a German and want to play violent video games from here in the US and from in Japan... you'll have to move to do so. This is just pathetic.

www.inquisitr.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think the Germans are overreacting out of guilt for their past crimes.

That, or another "hitler" is quietly rising to power, and shutting down free society... They're also trying to censor the internet.

You can Molest Your Kids In Germany, But You Can't Buy Them Violent Games?

Funny how backwater a country can be eh?

It's a matter of finding something other than the LAW to blame for violence. Laws are what cause violence. Telling people they can't do something, compells them to do it, violently.

Anyway, this is absurd, I've been playing violent games all my life, and I do so with my son on a regular basis. The thing parents have to do is simply educate the child on what they are experiencing and have them understand the difference between reality and gaming reality.

It's a silly move by Germany, since the video game industry now trumps the Movie industry in sales. They will loose alot of tax revenue from lack of game sales, and it will affect all manner of gaming consoles.

Typical of government to use a scapegoat, and a harmless one at that, to put blame on something they created.

~Keeper



[edit on 6/17/2009 by tothetenthpower]

Hold up, there are workarounds to this 'violence problem'.

Take a look at this link on youtube, it takes the movie "300" and makes it PG rated , made as comedy, yet my point is well made in the video.

300 PG Rated

Now one can understand how game developers can work around this problem. Instead of guns blowing peoples heads off , officially make them squirt guns, and just so happens to be water dyed red. Or instead of deathmatch, make it TAG with airsoft balls.

The reason people like the games is the gameplay experience. We can still have the same experience and adrenaline rush by 'replacing things' with not so much carnage.

reply to post by wiredamerican


I agree 100%. HAVE SOME CAKE!!!!!


Also, I've been playing video games for years. Violent ones. Silly ones. Comical ones. I even downloaded a virtual rape game (heard about it on ATS and wanted to see what all the hype was about).

The results? I've never punched anyone, shot anyone, stole a car, raped somebody, or rocket jumped into the air and snipe somebody with a high powered laser plasma rifle as I fell back down to earth.

Germany is clearly going nuts. They don't even have any science to back up their ban -- which means they're banning it for political reasons -- which means the population is suffering from mass stupidity, or some eager political group is putting a choke chain on the freedom leash of the neutered German public.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Violent video games are just a small contribution in the bigger picture. Violence is learnt by kids from elsewhere, eg. violent parents, brother, other relative or friends who have had bad childhoods. The violence in video games is not the cause, but just sets the mindset for those kids distorted already.

Banning the games won't change much, they'll still get ideas on how to attack people, and the violence will still continue. You could argue it might reduce it a bit, but it's just as likely something else will always be there to make messed up kids from broken families become violent. Instead of concentrating on minor factors; which if we were to ban video games where do we stop; shall we ban all violent films too. Violent video games have 18 rating same as films yet kids still get older relatives or friends to buy them. The problem is the broken families and that needs fixing through promoting healthy family life and good parenting through the welfare system.

Originally posted by Kaytagg
I think the Germans are overreacting out of guilt for their past crimes.

That, or another "hitler" is quietly rising to power, and shutting down free society... They're also trying to censor the internet.

I think another hitler would want to encourage violent behaviour in young germans, but that's another matter altogether.

Banning these games in Germany will just lead to a spike in piracy that will spiral out of control. Germany will become a pirate hub capital of Europe. It would be a silly mistake and would make more problems than it could ever fix. Although you could argue pirating has its benefits, and for music if you dl just to listen once and if you don't like delete, or if you like it buy it. That doesn't happen, people just download hundreds of albums and say I don't have to buy these now.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


As much as I don't think children should play violent video games.. I don't agree with a blanket ban to everyone. I really don't think violence should be glorified, that just causes problems.. but still, Big Brother doesn't always know best.

Sorry but this kid only needs a one liner NOOB..!

When we were young, we used to play with Plastic Gun Replicas and shoot each other in broad daylight.

Nobody blamed that for violence....

I've played a few violent video games and thought they were disgusting..... They are not in any way going to duplicate the true horror of literally blowing someone away, but will desensitise a person into thinking that they could do so without feeling anything but glory...... In reality it isn't that way at all and is very messy and stinks really bad...... I think it is as cool for Germans to play violent video games as anyone else, as long as they aren't accompanied by marching music and they don't have to wear uniforms and goose step.

This is lame.

And not only is it lame, but haven't they been threatening to do this for a few years now?

They do desensitize you to violence to some degree. They also train the brain to pick out targets quickly. Even if you've never picked up a gun before, you'd do better with a firearm than a person who doesn't play them.

Perfect priming for the people trying to defend themselves from a fascist government if you ask me.

[edit on 18-6-2009 by theneoilluminati]

reply to post by tristar


That kid did it as a joke. It was supposed to be a commentary on how seriously other people took their gaming. German sounds angry in any tone, but that is actually frightening.

It`s a problem of Generations. The people who make the laws grew up without any videogames and have no understanding about them. Everytime something bad happens and kids are running riot it`s the videogames and horror movies. I don`t know how many times they tried to ban all this here in Germany.
But experts in the field have already pointed out that violent people tend to like violent movies and violent games and that it is not the games and movies which makes them agressive. They already are. I wonder were the parents are when 12y old kids are playing games or watching movies which are not suitable for that age.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
You can Molest Your Kids In Germany, But You Can't Buy Them Violent Games?

Funny how backwater a country can be eh?

Eh?

Wasn't this shown to be nonsense? You cant molest your children in Germany FFS.
Its an EU country, try going there and molesting your child.. you will be promptly kicked to death... and don't tell me you have to be a citizen to do it lol

Also.. they are after banning what? 4 of the most violent games on the market? Oooohhh!!! They are really messing with the freedoms of the people. NOT! lol

Anyway, wasn't GTA banned in a lot of western countries? Same with the original carmageddon... the list goes on.. Its nothing really new

@ Frankie.. Video games are not media, they are sold to you on a form of media yes, but they are entertainment. Anyway if they were informative media, they wouldn't be very reliable lol

How is a country not a democracy for taking "dodgy" consumer products off the market? I mean, if most drugs are banned with little or no evidence that they cause problems to the vast majority of users, why cant video games be?

I think what this all actually means...

Is that California should be a part of Germany

Heck, they already have Arnold in charge

as if i play fifa 2009 one day i'll play for liverpool

It's the boulevard newspapers that cause most of the problems in this case-Brainless sensationalism at it's best.

In the U.K.,Games and films are far less controlled(and far more violent) than in Germany,however,and please correct me,no-one in England has shot his schoolmates.

Controlling firearms and ammunition may be a good start.Pistols and ammo shouldn't really be hidden under a pullover in the wardrobe.

i was recently watching my 12 year old cousin playing call of Duty 4, the mission where you are in the c-130 gunship taking out a terrorist hideout. the graphics wre so life like. i was watching my cousin blowing up the terrorists and their mosques and it all seemed abit weird. surely this desensitizes kids from death and destruction. In real life the terrorist my cousin was mowing down with glee, are parents, sons , brothers. humans.

Now kids (even if they wear a military uniform) can control US drones and fire missiles into wedding parties in northern parkistan, using an xbox 360 remote.

so i dont think the games make you aggresive, but they do desensitize kids to the reality of death and war