German Minister Seeks Jail Time For FPS Players

GamePolitics has the somewhat unbelievable news that German Minister of the Interior Gunther Beckstein is seeking jail time for violent game developers, publishers, and players. MSNBC has further coverage of the issue, which has pro gamers in Germany quite worried. From the article: "The draft law, a reaction to a school shooting that shook German public opinion last month, will come before the upper house of parliament next year. But it is already sending shockwaves through the 2m-strong German online gaming community. 'We have among the most drastic censorship rules for games,' said Frank Sliwka, head of the Deutsche E-Sport Bund, an umbrella federation for German online gaming teams. 'Now we are being labelled as a breeding ground for unstable, dysfunctional and violent youngsters.'"

Comments

It's all the games' fault!

[Anonymous Coward]

After all, everyone knows Germany has had absolutely *no* history of violence before video games appeared on the scene.

*ducks*

Re:It's all the games' fault!

[Gertlex]

After all, everyone knows Germany has had absolutely *no* history of violence before video games appeared on the scene.
 
*ducks* World's fastest invocation of Godwin's Law? :D

Re:It's all the games' fault!

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a proven fact that Adolf Hitler played Wolfenstein 0.0001 on his Volksrechner 0.4 * 10^(-4) MHz.

Re:It's all the games' fault!

[hey!]

No, the fastest possible application of Godwin's law is for the origingal post in a thread to invoke the Nazis preemptively. Let's call that a G0 post.

The fastest possible meta Godwin would be in a child response to a G0 post. Let's call that an M1 post. You can't pull a meta-Godwin in a G0 post without triggering the self-referential (wank) exception.

Sadly, you post is a respectable but undistinguished M2 (grand child) meta-godwin. But then again this post is an H3 hyper-meta-godwin so I can't say anthing. H2 would the fastest theoretically possible hyper-meta. Of course you can't do an H1 because that triggers the meta-self-referential (wank wank) rule.

Re:It's all the games' fault!

[triffid_98]

Baldrick: I've heard what these Germans will do, Sir. They'll have their wicked way with anything of woman-born.

Edmund: Well, in that case, Baldrick, you're quite safe. However, the Teutonic reputation for brutality is well-founded: their operas last three or four days; and they have no word for `fluffy'.

Re:It's all the games' fault!

[Rycross]

You know who else were pedantic dick-wavers? Nazis.

Re:Going a little overboard

[__aaclcg7560]

No... But WWII is responsible for all the WWII video games of the last few years. If I see one more WWII video game, I'm going to jump into my Sherman tank and take a tour through town!

Re:"Logic"

[Anonymous Coward]

This is Germany, there aren't any pretty women and the food isn't good. That's why they've evolved such great beer, to drink away their sorrows. ;) I kid, I kid...

Re:Where do you draw the line

[R3d M3rcury]

I just got Suzuki Superbikes for PS2. In this game, the riders occasionally kick at each other. Since kicking someone on a motorcycle at race speeds could certainally result in injuries as bad as or worse than a bullet wound, am I playing a violent game?

Yes, it is a violent game if it allows you to do that. Thus, they would have to change the game so that players do not kick at each other. In fact, at the end of the game, all players will be shown joining the winner for a large group hug to show that there is no animosity.

What if I try to take out other drivers in GT4?

Well, then, your car will immediately be stopped by the police and you automatically lose the race. In fact, in order to keep anyone's feelings from being hurt, GT4 will be rewritten so that all races always end in a tie between all drivers.

Oh, and what if I develop a FPS app in Java? The folks at Sun aided and abetted me. Do they go to jail?

Yes they do. In fact, the makers of personal computers will be liable if someone uses their personal computer to virtually harm another being--including making them feel bad. Of course, makers of personal computers will then sue all of their component suppliers and so on down the line.

Re:"Logic"

[grammar fascist]

The lovely streetwalkers of Paris will become a thing of the past. :-(

If you had wanted to drive your point home, you might have picked a consequence that was actually bad.

Re:The crickets sure are loud in here...

[Anonymous Coward]

Fascism? In Germany? Ha, it'll never happen here!

FPS Doug

[StarvingSE]

Does this mean that FPS Doug would be made an international criminal???

Re:Sounds silly but ...

[AxelBoldt]

Gambling, on the other had, is not.

Gambling in games of skill, like poker or backgammon, is indeed illegal. Gambling in games of chance, like the stock market, remains legal however.

Re:"Logic"

[Quiet_Desperation]

You just have no quick, paid for romance in your heart, sir.

It's true!!

[rlp]

I've been playing a video game all evening. And I still have a desire to violently knock down ten defenseless pins with a large heavy ball. Sometimes even as many as 91. Though I've successfully managed to restrain the urge to destroy video screens with small flying white objects.

Re:It's true!!

[meringuoid]

I've been playing a video game all evening. And I still have a desire to violently knock down ten defenseless pins with a large heavy ball. Sometimes even as many as 91. Though I've successfully managed to restrain the urge to destroy video screens with small flying white objects.

Me, I just have this uncontrollable urge to find a bunch of bunnies and start disco dancing...

I have an even better idea than this guy!

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's just shoot everyone in the world! that will stop them from shooting each other!