Proposed Ban on Violent Games Fails in Germany

It’s the sort of story that surprises you for actually going the way it should: the German legislature considered banning the sale and development of violent videogames, a petition against the law garnered 73,000 signatures, and…

Then the legislature listened, deciding instead to focus on greater public education about Germany’s content rating system for games.

Way to go Germany.  Maybe we can stop making games about we kicked your ass now?  Nah, I didn’t think so either.

In March of 2009, a gun-equipped German teenager killed fifteen people.  After the rampage, it was discovered that he had played some Far Cry 2 (rated M in the US), and that was all anyone needed to link the violence to games.

The games industry is already responding to the ruling.  EA’s Senior VP Jens Uwe Intat said that “the German decision is a very welcome step as we encourage policy makers to better understand the reality of today’s videogame market and give games the same respect as books, films or music.”

If the bill had gone through at least one major game maker, Crytek, would have had to shut down or move.

(via Kotaku.)