Germany Kiboshes Dead Island: Riptide

[IamLEAM1983]

How long are the Germans going to keep punishing themselves for what their grandparents did? It's not like they could give themselves a worse reputation than the one they already have. Bit late to pretend you give a shit about stoping your kids from turning into blood thirsty psychopaths don't you think?

I don't think the correlation is as clear as you make it seem. Those censorship laws aren't the result of German folks going "OH GAWD, WE'RE SO FUCKING ASHAMED OF OURSELVES!", and far more the result of the same groups who keep pushing for stricter laws in the US or Canada - or the UK.

Y'know, the "Think of the children!" crowd. The hypocrites trumpeting for "Family Values" because of all the socio-economic levers they'll get to tweak if their agenda gets heard in Congress/Parliament/The House of Lords/Whatever.

I'm sure most sane German gamers would know to handle stuff like Riptide or heck, even Manhunt 2 as sedately as anyone else. The deciders are just fixated on the possibility that someone with the right mix of pre-existing problems and a suggestible mindset MIGHT take it a notch or two too far.

I'm in Canada, and the same thing happens here whenever a violent game gets released and is tangentially connected to a shootout or some guy flipping his lid. People love scapegoats, and some country leaders feel it's a lot easier to try and prevent scapegoats from showing up at all.

We all know it's never that simple. You can't stamp out evil or general dickery - it's in human nature. Berlin and Sydney can stack up as many censorship laws as they want, it'll never stop crackpots from playing shooters and finding a convenient strawman argument for an insanity plea if they decide to go around pulling bullets in heads.

 

[lacktheknack]

You'd think that the laws on violence against humanoids and mutilation of corpses would allow zombies as an exception, seeing how they're UNdead.

But what do I know, I've never been elected, so clearly I don't have the sensibilities or smarts needed to know what people are allowed to entertain themselves with.

 

[Bindal]

You'd think that the laws on violence against humanoids and mutilation of corpses would allow zombies as an exception, seeing how they're UNdead.

It is the problem with AFTER you killed them, when they are dead AGAIN (or dead for the first time, depending on the form of zombie...)

 

[Azahul]

We all know it's never that simple. You can't stamp out evil or general dickery - it's in human nature. Berlin and Sydney can stack up as many censorship laws as they want, it'll never stop crackpots from playing shooters and finding a convenient strawman argument for an insanity plea if they decide to go around pulling bullets in heads.

What's Sydney got to do with anything? The Australian capital is Canberra...

As for the topic, eh. It happens. Anyone that seriously wants the game will still get it, and it's the German government's right to censor violent video games if they want. I'm a bit curious about the people saying it'd be hard for Germans to get a worse reputation than they have already though. I live in Australia, and Germans have one of the better reputations over here. Certainly far better than Americans.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

you forgot to mention that Merkel loves to just sit and wait as her tried and true tactic for dealing with anything.
oh and i am calling schwarz-grün 2013

Merkel just doesn't have the metaphorical balls to do anything, for fear of the polls.

It's funny you say that because as someone who is outside the political loop of Germany I and I think many others see Merkal as having nothing but metaphorical balls. In fact, I once hered her refered to as "The Steel Chancilor" a supposed one upping of Bismarks title as Iron Chancilor.

 

[Baresark]

All of the hate for the game aside (I personally loved the shit outta that game), why is it hard for people to admit that denying a game is retarded. I personally get pissed when my government makes decisions for me, even if it's about something I am not interested in. It's pretty awesome that he basically said pirate away. The fact that some games that fit the laws description are still allowed to be released that proves how completely arbitrary the law is. But, I'm not German and I feel for anyone who has to jump through hoops to get something they want.

Also, the comments talking about the game not being released is saving them from a "bad" or "poor" product are just completely off base. If I don't enjoy something I'm not ok with my neighbor being denied that same thing just because I'm not interested in it. Grow a brain, people.

As far as I remember, they never even bothered to present Dead Island itself to our ratings board. Playing the victim card now just feels ... wrong.

I don't know how the first Dead Island game's release, or lack thereof, is remotely related to Riptides. The article isn't talking about the first Dead Island release.They aren't playing the victim card after the fact. They were denied this time as well. Germany clearly did this time and the last time Germany denied game from the first moments of talk of release. Ergo, it was banned in Germany the last time. I just don't understand why they would expect anything different this time around.

 

[Sewa_Yunga]

As far as I remember, they never even bothered to present Dead Island itself to our ratings board. Playing the victim card now just feels ... wrong.

I just searched the database of our rating board for Dead Island and it's not in there.
So it's pretty their own fault, since the department that determines which games are banned can only do so with games which have no rating from our rating board.

 

[Kashrlyyk]

....I personally get pissed when my government makes decisions for me...

Like all those safety measures at certain workplaces, right? HOW DARE THE NANNY STATE TELL ME I HAVE TO WEAR A HELMET???

BTW: America has the "Adults Only" rating! Which is pretty much identical to the "Index" in Germany. So if "Dead Island" was rated "Adults Only" Americans would have the same situation that Germans have right now.

Oh, there are "18+" games and movies in Germany that are openly sold to anyone old enough unlike your "AO" games and movies!

I don't know how the first Dead Island game's release, or lack thereof, is remotely related to Riptides. The article isn't talking about the first Dead Island release.They aren't playing the victim card after the fact. They were denied this time as well. Germany clearly did this time and the last time Germany denied game from the first moments of talk of release. Ergo, it was banned in Germany the last time. I just don't understand why they would expect anything different this time around.

The were BOTH NOT shown to the USK! And that is an automatic ban!!! End of Story!

 

[Baresark]

....I personally get pissed when my government makes decisions for me...

Like all those safety measures at certain workplaces, right? HOW DARE THE NANNY STATE TELL ME I HAVE TO WEAR A HELMET???

BTW: America has the "Adults Only" rating! Which is pretty much identical to the "Index" in Germany. So if "Dead Island" was rated "Adults Only" Americans would have the same situation that Germans have right now.

Oh, there are "18+" games and movies in Germany that are openly sold to anyone old enough unlike your "AO" games and movies!

I don't know how the first Dead Island game's release, or lack thereof, is remotely related to Riptides. The article isn't talking about the first Dead Island release.They aren't playing the victim card after the fact. They were denied this time as well. Germany clearly did this time and the last time Germany denied game from the first moments of talk of release. Ergo, it was banned in Germany the last time. I just don't understand why they would expect anything different this time around.

The were BOTH NOT shown to the USK! And that is an automatic ban!!! End of Story!

It's weird, but you are the only person who saying it was not shown to the USK. I can't find any other source stating that, so you'll have to excuse me for not just believing that they didn't submit it. It sounds like they did as he said outright stated they do not have a censored version they need to release it there. The only mention I could find of the Riptide and the USK is from August where it states it was not submitted yet.

Also, the 18+ rating of a game does not get it banned from my country. It limits the outlets it can be sold at, but it does not prohibit sales, which is what a ban does. So, it's not the same thing.

And on that note, by comparing the banning of a game to safety regulations you are effectively comparing apples to rocks. They are not at all or in any way the same thing. That, sir and/or madam, is what you would call a straw man argument. You are making a case for safety regulation and in effect calling censorship the same thing, which it is not.

Ultimately it does not matter though. If you can sit there and are incapable of identifying the fact that a game is going to release just about everywhere except your own country, as bullshit, I don't think we have much to talk about. We can simply be two people of two different opinions and leave it at that. Like I said in my original post: I just feel for any group of people who are limited in their choices when virtually everyone else is not.

 

[Easton Dark]

You'd think that the laws on violence against humanoids and mutilation of corpses would allow zombies as an exception, seeing how they're UNdead.

It is the problem with AFTER you killed them, when they are dead AGAIN (or dead for the first time, depending on the form of zombie...)

If you want to get technical, the zombies are corpses 100% of the time, just moving corpses. So in Germany, if a zombie is lunging for you, act like Indians have to with cows and let it do its thing.

It's kind of sad. Dead Island is a good game. At least Germans can order it from other places.

 

[Loethlin]

I would find it good if more devs would complain about the system here and not just swallow it

...The polish didn't resist too much last time.

Poland just wants a pony.

And for you to specify what "last time" did you mean.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Self-snip!

What's Sydney got to do with anything? The Australian capital is Canberra...

As for the topic, eh. It happens. Anyone that seriously wants the game will still get it, and it's the German government's right to censor violent video games if they want. I'm a bit curious about the people saying it'd be hard for Germans to get a worse reputation than they have already though. I live in Australia, and Germans have one of the better reputations over here. Certainly far better than Americans.

Canberra? Well, sorry for getting it wrong. I assumed, and you know what assuming does. Should've fact-checked before posting.

As for Americans getting a bad rep in Australia, I really could care less. I'm Canadian.

 

[Gladion]

The were BOTH NOT shown to the USK! And that is an automatic ban!!! End of Story!

No it isn't. In theory, you can have a game not rated and it'll never get "banned". It happened before, I remember some baseball games that weren't rated and, of course, never indexed. The only thing that happens with not-rated games is that they can't be sold to minors.
Even the word ban is wrong in Germany, because you're always legally allowed to purchase and own whatever you want. Except for child pornography of course. And Nazi-stuff.

It's weird, but you are the only person who saying it was not shown to the USK. I can't find any other source stating that, so you'll have to excuse me for not just believing that they didn't submit it.

Here's one source:
http://www.schnittberichte.com/news.php?ID=2724
Naturally, it's only in German. It says that publisher Deep Silver "doesn't count on getting a rating" and therefore they just don't release it. This fairly rare, though, especially lately.

The reason the ratings sometimes seem so random is because there are always other people judging these things. In practice, this resulted in Gears 3 getting a rating while Gears 1 and 2 didn't. Although most of the time, the people in the ratings board just stick to the rules. I.e. don't make the game too realistic, don't encourage the player too much to murder innocents and if you offer non-violent ways to solve problems at all, you're basically good to go.

 

[Jynthor]

Can't my friendly neighbours just go to the Netherlands and get all their games there or is there some kind of region lock?

 

[Danceofmasks]

Canberra? Well, sorry for getting it wrong. I assumed, and you know what assuming does. Should've fact-checked before posting.

As for Americans getting a bad rep in Australia, I really could care less. I'm Canadian.

The proper way of describing it is, the Australian "capital" is Canberra.
'cos it's a small town they made in the middle of nowhere.

The way they figured, if someone wants to bomb all our top politicians, they can!
The actual population centers don't have to suffer, OR care!

In fact, the only reason to go to Canberra, at all, is to get porn and fireworks.
That's right, the porn and fireworks laws are lax in the capital.

 

[AlwaysPractical]

Wooo, we're spared another generic boring zombie game. In all honesty, people that want the game will buy it, import from UK via Amazon costs 10 pounds. I don't support the banning of video games, but they really don't do much in such a global society as ours.

Also, what's with all the idiotic WWII comments and Poland invasion jokes? Is that the only thing you know about Germany?