AfterDawn: News

More restrictions to sales of violent games in EU

Germany, holding the presidency of the European Council, is pushing through stricter restrictions with the support of European Commission to the sales of violent video games. This new institution would affect all the EU members states, currently EU doesn't control member states' legislation on the subject.

The legislation would require all games to be revised to fit the target age group. According to vice president of European Commission Franco Frattini, there is a wide mutual understanding in EU about how the sales would be restricted. The current legislation of Germany is considered the most strict in Europe and according to Frattini would be a good base for all the other members as well.



The PEGI system, which allows large publishers like Nintendo and PlayStation to rate their own games, currently in use in 16 countries would be replaced. Next step will include inquiry to member states, which will map the means of punishment and give the base to Germany's final proposal.

Source:
HS.fi (in Finnish)

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 21 Feb 2007 1:26

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• 22 comments

• borhan9

  I wouldn't mind to see this.

  21.2.2007 01:55 #1

• nptwenty

  Looks like I will be buying my games from the states soon then. I already buy my dvds from there.

  21.2.2007 03:21 #2

• hughjars

  I have absolutely no objection to exercising control what young children are exposed to
  (especially if it's of the usual moronic 'more violence is cool/better' kind).
  
  I agree that it's different for adults
  (although considering how undeveloped and infantile some of them are you might wonder about that).

  21.2.2007 04:37 #3

• The_Fiend

  The reason i object to this is simple, this WILL mean that the entire EU will now get videogames in which monsters and zombies will bleed gree when shot/stabbed/ etc.
  Anyone remember how the krauts butchered Carmageddon 2 ?
  Imagine that in ALL videogames.
  This would kill a lot of the fun for us mature gamers who ARE old enough to decide wether or not we wish to play gorey games.
  Another nail in the proverbial coffin, but the question remains : how many more 'till we get to bury the EU councill and it's bullsh*t laws?

  21.2.2007 04:51 #4

• hughjars

  Originally posted by The_Fiend:The reason i object to this is simple, this WILL mean that the entire EU will now get videogames in which monsters and zombies will bleed gree when shot/stabbed/ etc.
  Anyone remember how the krauts butchered Carmageddon 2 ?
  Imagine that in ALL videogames. - Jayzuss wept, is that the height of this 'complaint'?
  
  Get over it and go find the cheat(s) to turn your goo red.
  
  
  Quote: but the question remains : how many more 'till we get to bury the EU councill and it's bullsh*t laws? - Like never.
  
  It may not be perfect but the EU is here to stay, you can dream on if you like but it's not going away.

  21.2.2007 05:01 #5

• Mr-Movies

  This is a parenting issue and should not be governed or restrictive by the law. What's next start burning books again. The rating system is a good idea and with that children should not be able to purchase mature content games or anything else for that matter.

  21.2.2007 06:51 #6

• hughjars

  Originally posted by Mr-Movies:This is a parenting issue and should not be governed or restrictive by the law. - That's true, sadly it's not exactly unknown for some parents to use a TV or games console as a substitute for proper parenting.
  
  Originally posted by Mr Movie:What's next start burning books again. - Don't be leaping off to any silly and wildly exaggerated points now, eh?
  
  Originally posted by Mr Movies:The rating system is a good idea and with that children should not be able to purchase mature content games or anything else for that matter. - ......and an adjustment of that rating system is all this is.
  
  Sadly those day-dreaming of an imminent EU Police state cos they're 'forced' from seeing the gore in the 'right' colour in their video games will just have to keep on waiting for another day.

  21.2.2007 07:42 #7

• The_Fiend

  @ hughjars : screw that, why in the HELL would i want to spend time uncensoring content that's being censored for the "kiddies" sake ?
  Why not just enforce stricter sales policies then?
  I honestly don't get the whole point here, if you don't want kids to play these games, then make sure shops don't sell them to kids FFS, same as pr0n and horror movies.
  Next you know, we'll have the whole video nasties debacle ALL OVER AGAIN.
  
  As for the EU not going away, i think you'll find that more and more people, especially in Germany and Holland, are getting sick and tired of the EU and it's bullsh*t.
  Lots of protest rallies, and more and more political parties that are opposed to the whole idea behind this "union".
  Oh, and while i'm at it, may i suggest you have a look at the old version of the EU "constitution" ?
  Seems quite fitting with your choice of words concerning the EU.
  
  

  
  
  

  21.2.2007 08:54 #8

• hughjars

  Originally posted by The_Fiend:Why not just enforce stricter sales policies then? - Er, basically that's all this really is, an adjustment to the age related policies for selling games.
  
  The comment about 'the wrong colour of gore' (oh the horror!) was something you came up with.
  
  Wow, what a symbol of fascist repression.
  
  Get a life.
  
  Quote:As for the EU not going away, i think you'll find that more and more people, especially in Germany and Holland, are getting sick and tired of the EU and it's bullsh*t. - There are people across the EU who protest against some EU policies, that doesn't mean it's going away anywhere..........or for that matter that a majority are against it.
  
  Sorry and all but there you go, that's the truth of the matter.
  
  But feel free to carry on with your day-dreams. :P

  21.2.2007 10:59 #9

• ZippyDSM

  hughjars
  first off no censoring its pointless 2ndly is there a 16+(mature rating) game rating if their is then games wont have to be edited to fit Germanys small differentiation of what is correct...really Greamny and Russia are slipping back to old ways of doing things,Germany needs to get over itself and let adult rated martial alone.

  21.2.2007 12:08 #10

• hughjars

  Zippy, believe me, if you knew the German public
  (and I'm only assuming you don't from your comment)
  you'd know they generally have a very 'modern', open and healthy perspective on what is and what is not 'adult'.
  
  (in fact in many ways they are far more 'free' than many)
  
  But, like all the member states of the EU, they, like any of us, have a right to propose revisiting current regulation and law to see if it can be improved and made better fitted to purpose (particularly in an organisation like the EU where we are always trying to construct a better functioning single market - and make it more responsive to the public's expressed wants and needs).
  
  That's all this is about.
  
  There's nothing odd, scary or especially excessive about that.
  
  ......unless, of course, you're one of the loopy dingbat crowd who can always be completely relied upon to make a 'mountain out of a molehill' at every opportunity and wind themselves up into a laughable hysteria that insists the EU is set on eating your first-born at the first opportunity.

  21.2.2007 13:34 #11

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by hughjars:Zippy, believe me, if you knew the German public
  (and I'm only assuming you don't from your comment)
  you'd know they generally have a very 'modern', open and healthy perspective on what is and what is not 'adult'.
  
  (in fact in many ways they are far more 'free' than many)
  
  But, like all the member states of the EU, they, like any of us, have a right to propose revisiting current regulation and law to see if it can be improved and made better fitted to purpose (particularly in an organisation like the EU where we are always trying to construct a better functioning single market - and make it more responsive to the public's expressed wants and needs).
  
  That's all this is about.
  
  There's nothing odd, scary or especially excessive about that.
  
  ......unless, of course, you're one of the loopy dingbat crowd who can always be completely relied upon to make a 'mountain out of a molehill' at every opportunity and wind themselves up into a laughable hysteria that insists the EU is set on eating your first-born at the first opportunity.much like the US in that it is ^_~
  
  the populace is not the problem but the anal retensize politicizations that are making 30 year old laws today right now to bad forms of media,Germany has baned GAMES from begin sold to adults and from being imported this is the issue most have with them and other polis that try to trump logic to gain votes.

  21.2.2007 13:48 #12

• hughjars

  You're right about some politicians.
  
  But this is simply Germany (in the 'chair' and so currently holding the 6-monthly 'rotating' EU Presindency) proposing something.
  
  It will be debated and either accepted, amended or rejected when it goes before the other 26 sovereign nation states that are the membership of the EU.
  
  Even if the EU Commission, or the various member state Gov Ministers, agree to this it can still be rejected by the EU Parliament.
  
  .....and at the end of the day it's still only a mechanism to attempt to effectively rate material.
  
  (I take it no-one is in favour of a completely regulation-free market-place where young children can access any and everything?)

  21.2.2007 14:11 #13

• ZippyDSM

  hughjars
  
  if they do what Austriala dose and only rate game sup to 16 I would rather have a free market where the industry tries and place limits on itself,now if they can fully grasp "kid" games "teen" games "adult" games and "porn" games I am all for it.

  21.2.2007 14:21 #14

• tefarko

  what do they mean by "stricter restictions"?
  
  if that means that some games will be rated as "adult" and be sold only to adults then it´s ok...
  
  if they mean they will ban the sale of some game because of its content then it´s bad, really bad... and I agree with Mr-Movies that this may lead to book burning because it has happened before, just read your history books... (actually I think it still happens in some places around the world...)
  
  since my kids can go to the corner shop and rent games by themselves, the rating and restricted sale/rental of adult rated games will give me a chance to decide what they can play, which is part of my parenting duties...

  22.2.2007 01:23 #15

• ZippyDSM

  tefarko
  thats my point in the US you cant simply ban media whitch is a good thing if they started to ban media they didn't like...it would be fcking fascism incarnate.
  
  Any government dos not need to get into banning media (porn,violence,ect,ect) now the restriction of sale that I don mind but to keep a card carrying adult from buying a game or movie as it was meant to be (non edited) is just silly and wrong.

  22.2.2007 01:31 #16

• hughjars

  Originally posted by tefarko:what do they mean by "stricter restictions"? - Read what the article says, it means age restrictions and what can be sold to young children.
  
  This bit might be a clue "The legislation would require all games to be revised to fit the target age group."
  
  Originally posted by tefarco:if they mean they will ban the sale of some game because of its content then it´s bad, really bad. - Well it doesn't.
  
  .....and throwing a hissy-fit just cos something got banned isn't the end of the world either.
  
  It might not be ideal and it might well be annoying but this weak & idiotic anti-EU bash claiming all sorts of horrific fascist implications are inherent in this is simply laughable.
  
  Originally posted by tefarco:I agree with Mr-Movies that this may lead to book burning because it has happened before, just read your history books. - Anyone who imagines EU Europe is about to step back in time 70+ years is just deluded.
  
  ....and if they're British they're even more deluded
  (and - as is often usually the case - ignorant of the facts about what has gone on in the UK in the recent past).
  
  Go read about what Thatcher & Co. banned - that's right banned, not 'age restricted'.
  Try and find a copy of 'The Video Nasties' 'Freedom & Censorship in the Media.
  You'll see.
  
  It wasn't nice, it wasn't right but even with the vast swathe she & her gang banned it didn't mean the sky fell in nor were there "book burnings" in village greens across the nation nor any of the rest of those rather infantile day-dreams.

  22.2.2007 06:51 #17

• ZippyDSM

  hughjars
  so you are saying the UK is better are controlling fascism,because the US is trying to revive it as fast as they can burn documents!
  *L*
  
  So this measure wants to if completed to recreated the PGEI into a new rating system that will rate games to age groups and not "BAN".
  
  
  As for banning...lets say half of everything you watch/read/play is actively baned then what?
  the reason to dislike banning is that they will go after any and everything THEY dislike.

  22.2.2007 07:06 #18

• tefarko

  Quote:- Read what the article says, it means age restrictions and what can be sold to young children.
  it says "sales would be restricted" and that can mean anything... from not available to kids to not available to EU citizens...
  
  Quote:
  .....and throwing a hissy-fit just cos something got banned isn't the end of the world either.
  
  It might not be ideal and it might well be annoying but this weak & idiotic anti-EU bash claiming all sorts of horrific fascist implications are inherent in this is simply laughable.
  no, it´s not the end of the world, it´s the beggining of the end of their civil rights...
  
  and can you tell me where do you see "weak & idiotic anti-EU bashing"?... I was just pointing that censorship is bad, no matter where...
  
  Quote:
  - Anyone who imagines EU Europe is about to step back in time 70+ years is just deluded.
  try to board a plane with a bottle of water and you will see where your liberties went, "in the name of security"... a step forward indeed...
  
  no, I don´t know about UK history... ok, now I learned something, you got a lot of stuff banned by the gov and think it´s ok... chacun a son gout...

  22.2.2007 07:26 #19

• ZippyDSM

  tefarko
  hughjars is in the UK so his view of civil rights is different,altho letting the government have to much control over what you can watch is never a good thing.

  22.2.2007 07:33 #20

• hughjars

  Quote: it says "sales would be restricted" - I think the key phrase is "games to be revised to fit the target age group"
  
  Quote: and that can mean anything. - It's specifically saying "age group" to me.
  
  
  Quote:no, it´s not the end of the world, it´s the beggining of the end of their civil rights. - Come off it, what next?
  
  Would a move to adjust the restrictions on alcohol sales to children be a restriction too far and a "beginning of the end of civil rights" too, huh?
  
  This is simply adjusting the age 'limits' for some games, not the removal of your human rights.
  
  Jeez talk about get a sense of perspective and worry about the real things in life that need serious attention, huh?
  
  Quote: can you tell me where do you see "weak & idiotic anti-EU bashing"?... I was just pointing that censorship is bad, no matter where. - Don't take everything as pointed at you, you weren't the one specifically mentioning and taking a silly bash at the EU.
  
  Quote:try to board a plane with a bottle of water and you will see where your liberties went, "in the name of security"... a step forward indeed. - Well OK, if you think that means a fascist state then that's up to you, I think you'll find few agreeing with that tho.
  
  They may have gotten it wrong about liquid explosives (but that is open to question) but I'd rather they took those simple and not very inconveniencng steps than get it wrong, wouldn't you?
  
  ......or is boarding an aircraft with the bottle of Coke you happened to have on you before you walked through the 'gate' such a vital component of your 'human rights'?
  
  Quote:, now I learned something, you got a lot of stuff banned by the gov and think it´s ok. - Actually that's not what I said
  (and post 1997 and the Labour Gov a lot of that stuff has been 'unbanned').
  
  What I did said was that, wrong as it was, the sky didn't fall in and nor did it herald the start of a fascist state.
  
  Like I said not everything written was pointed at you.

  22.2.2007 08:26 #21

• tefarko

  opinions and... er... bellybuttons, everybody has one...

  22.2.2007 09:25 #22