Germany took over the six month rotating presidency of the Union at the beginning of January. The European Commission is pushing to standardize rules for more control over video game violence throughout the 27 countries in the Union.
“A certain degree of linkage between the growing violence among the younger generation and the growing diffusion of violent games exists. Protection of children cannot have borders,” said Franco Frattini, the European Justice commissioner.
Minimum age rules on certain titles and outright bans on the most violent games are under consideration. The German government plans to conduct a study of all the different national rules concerning video games. Judging by recent events in Germany regarding violent video games, the government has previously proposed a national law banning games that depict violence toward human characters, bans are fairly likely.
Although the Interactive Software Federation of Europe has opposed bans of any kind in the past, the group has recently announced they supports Frattini’s efforts to protect children. They believe an age-rating system is a solid idea.
News source: InfoWorld
“A certain degree of linkage between the growing violence among the younger generation and the growing diffusion of violent games exists. Protection of children cannot have borders,” said Franco Frattini, the European Justice commissioner.
Minimum age rules on certain titles and outright bans on the most violent games are under consideration. The German government plans to conduct a study of all the different national rules concerning video games. Judging by recent events in Germany regarding violent video games, the government has previously proposed a national law banning games that depict violence toward human characters, bans are fairly likely.
Although the Interactive Software Federation of Europe has opposed bans of any kind in the past, the group has recently announced they supports Frattini’s efforts to protect children. They believe an age-rating system is a solid idea.
News source: InfoWorld
If certain elements of the german government wish to do SWAT style armed raids on game companies making violent games, and blanket ban a select few games even for adults, then that is entirely their insane and idiotic business...but dont expect the rest of us to follow suit.
At this rate people will get so bored of being wrapped up in teletubby happy-joy-joy niceness overload 24/7 they will end up going beserk and psycho more from that than they ever will a game!
However, banning games completely is wrong. It suppresses freedom of speech and choice.
I'm all for age ratings on games, but I'm strongly opposed of games being banned!
stop the world, i want to get off.
The rest of it is stupid though.
Sad, but so true. They all need to be replaced.
damn, you must think its just hopeless. the average person is out to have fun regardless of others? if that where true it would be absolute chaos. regardless of video games.
i think its ludicrous that you think
especially considering the circumstances. the people who kill and then blame it on video games are screwed up people. only a person with deep, deep issues could somehow misconstrue the content of a video game to relate in any way to real life. or they are very young and simply not capable of separating reality and fantasy yet.
this is supposed to be a free country. i pay taxes, i obey the law. how in the world can anyone have the right to tell me i cant play a video game in my house. and if you can where does it end? i should be able to do anything i want in my own home as long as it does not directly effect anyone else. i should be able to watch violent films, or play violent video games, or clean my guns, or drink boose, or smoke grass and shoot heroin. and if so inclined, do it with my gay lover if he chooses to participate. people need to get the idea out of there head that they can somehow control people and 'protect' people by restricting what i do with my free private time.
well the doomsday clock is nearing midnight for a reason. If you have ever played a game like halo or gears of war the sort of trash talking people come out with on regular occasions is specifically said to upset people all because of a video game. you get racial slurs, slurs on your family, your life, and your country (if you are from anywhere other than the US) and they do it because they think it is funny and dont care how the other person is affected.
"in a situation where tempers rise and people loose sight of penalties and the law, they usualy dont start thinking about video games. how about we get some laws in place that force parents to do a little parenting "
Thats not what i was suggesting, i was suggesting that video games can have a subconscious lasting affect on your life. It can make you a more "..." person. It could make you happier? It could make you more confident. Or less confident. Or more angry - and thats the point. But sure i am all for enforcing some parenting laws. i think you should pass a test to have kids
"only a person with deep, deep issues could somehow misconstrue the content of a video game to relate in any way to real life. or they are very young and simply not capable of separating reality and fantasy yet."
Thats the point. There are 6 billion people in the world, i suspect a lot of people fall into those catagories.
"people need to get the idea out of there head that they can somehow control people and 'protect' people by restricting what i do with my free private time."
The arguement isnt to stop you playing certain video games, it is to stop them being made in the first place, which is a valid arguement. I dont think a games developer should be able to do whatever they want, they shouldnt be allowed to incite racial hatred for example, so you need to draw a line somewhere, and i think pimping hoes, killing people stealing cars drugs etc. all crosses the line. If it were just one, in a reasonable context, it wouldnt be so bad. Its because GTA is only about breaking the law that it gets a lot of bad press.
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