EA Games boss Frank Gibeau throws in his two cents towards Australia’s Attorneys General about their longtime unwillingness to allow classification for games aimed at those 18 and older.
Gibeau wrote an editorial piece for Games Industry where he said that “government policies that don’t allow for the rating of mature content in videogames effectively censor entertainment choices for adults.”
He goes on to say that the “policies show a poor understanding of today’s videogaming audience.”
Germany’s Interior Ministers have asked for a ban on all production and distribution of violent video games in their country. They hope that this new sanction will go into effect before Germany’s next elections take place on September 27 of this year.
Why you ask?
Germany has recently suffered from several school shootings throughout their country, more recently a shooting in Winnenden on March 11. But will banning violent video games help stop this kind of violence?
If this ban is passed, all German game developers would be forced to outsource the development of any game the law deems to be too violent. It’s either that or move your company outside the country.
So what would this kind of censorship mean for gaming in the future? How will the industry fair if Germans aren’t able to purchase their games retail? And can this be justified?
Will banning violent video games truly help any problems that the country is having with violence being exhibited in schools or elsewhere? This solution seems to be a lot like trying to put a band-aid on a bullet wound, it won’t heal the root of the problem.
In the wake of last month’s rather tragic and much publicised school shooting in Winnenden, Germany, politicians in the country have been quick to jump on the video game violence bandwagon to help fuel their own self-deluded agendas.
One politician in particular, it seems, has taken this to the extreme.
Google translation of Bavarian minister Joachim Herrmann’s own words:
“More and more children and young people are sinking every day for hours in this virtual world of violence. For school and training, they have no time and threatening, so for our society to get lost. Unfortunately, many parents have no idea of what permanent damage to their children here. Killerspiele contradict the consensus of our values on a society based on peaceful coexistence and are ostracized. In their harmful effects, they are on a par with drugs and child pornography, to ban them cope nobody in question.”
I’ll let you make the judgement call on that one yourselves.
A spokesperson has said today that Gears of War will not be available in either Germany or Japan.
“We can confirm that Gears of War 2 will not be available in Germany or Japan indefinitely,” said the spokesperson.
This news may come as a shock to many, as the original was one of the first to crack Japan’s software charts when xbox 360 sales were at their lowest.
Gears had sold 33,212 copies in Japan in its first week and entered the software charts at number seven. The game has sold over 3m units worldwide and was the first title to overtake Halo 2 as the most popular game on Xbox Live.
The reasons why the game will not be released remain unclear. Though in May this year Germany’s ratings organisation declined to issue the game an age certificate.
The Wii’s upcoming gorefest, Madworld, is being regard with suspicion in certain countries. THe game will not be seeing a release in Australia, Germany and Japan. At least not yet.
Publisher Sega and developer Platinum Games will regularly provide the ESRB with up-to-date code, making the board “part of the process” in the gorefest’s development.
Those worried about the gaming being censorced shouldn’t worry, as Madworld is still shooting for the highest M rating possible.
The game launches in March
The Wii, when used well, is still unique amongst the current generation of consoles to immerse gamers in games in new and interesting ways. Video games, also, are powerful in the way that they can appeal to all… well, most of… our senses; sight, touch, sound, even taste back in the old days.
But of all the human senses, there’s one that games have long neglected to accommodate.
Smell.
