Poll: Would you emigrate to another country if gaming was banned/outlawed

[Farther than stars]

I know it's already banned somewhere, I just don't remember where...

Venezuela bans all games in which people can get shot. Apparently the President lost it when he heard there was some kind of flash game in which you shoot him, so now all games in which the objective is to shoot people are banned.
It's being pretty radically enforced in the sense that thousands of consoles and games have been destroyed. But then again Venezuela isn't one of the most democratic countries in the world.

Ironically North Korea does actually not ban video games, but then their great leader is a technology nut who probably plays all the latest installments himself and wants to showcase how great his opinion is.
What is more ironic, however, is the fact that South Korea (the world's greatest Star Craft nation) actually does ban games. Specifically ones which could create political tension (and by that I mean military) between it and it's Northern counterpart. Talk about stark contrast in a juxtaposition, ey?

 

[Killertje]

I'd find a new hobby in hacking the government, making sure they know exactly why I'm hacking them every time I do it.

 

[Nouw]

I'd move as soon as possible as moving now is near impossible for such a small reason.

I'd move to New Zealand.

They also have better gun laws than here.
Gaming and guns...... I'm happy.

[sub]Actually, I might move there anyway.[/sub]

We do ? It might turn you off that playing restricted games is illegal here.

 

[Farther than stars]

Well i already hate my country with passion, so yeah i would leave in a heartbeat.

Yes, but if you're avatar is to be believed you also hate the world. And correct me if I'm wrong, but it don't believe there are a lot of game distribution venues situated on the moon either.

 

[00slash00]

pfft, if i had the money id leave now

 

[CorvusFerreum]

I'd hate it if I lived in Germany, where I know they outlaw some violent video games.

Not so much. They had a quite weird time, were they were trying to filter out any gore. (CS 1.0, german version: greenish-yellow blood and hit characters didn't die, but sat down and looked pissed. WTF?)
But this isn't much the cause anymore. Some games may be banned (none that I'm interessted in anyway, so I don't know names), but this is not on a massive basis.

EDIT: see post below

But still: Politicians want to do such things on a regular basis and the media is mainly talking trash. FPS are normally just called "Killer games", and quite often WoW is named as one. Or they tell that in CS (wich is the source of all evil here) you gain points for killing with a maximum level of gore and are awarwed for raping. You'd think there is a bill that frees journalists from research, if they talk about games. The sad thing is, there are many people who believe this bs. At the moment it's quite calm on that front, but I'm sure it will come up again.
Anyway, it's allright here at the moment and I hope it stays this way.

I voted for moving, but I'm pretty sure I'd just

Dito. Most likely I would also protest.

 

[teebeeohh]

I voted for moving, but I'm pretty sure I'd just end up gaming illegally.

I'd hate it if I lived in Germany, where I know they outlaw some violent video games.

they are not actually outlawed, we just take the whole "do not make available to minors" thing very seriously. Meaning if a game does not get rated you cannot advertise it, display it at public events or keep it on a shelf in a store.
You can sell the stuff from under the counter but hardly any store does it anymore since it's a lot easier to just import stuff from the UK or Austria(if you like to have your game in German).
the real issue is when games are fixed to get a rating over here. really bad example: cutting blood and dismemberment from bulletstorm.

I would stay but start a guerrilla war to make games available to everyone. Or just have a underground gaming hub next to a room full of junkies.

 

[NicoDK]

Where the "Gather fellow gamers for a riot?" option? Cause i'd do that, no second thoughts.

 

[ImprovizoR]

No, I would become an outlaw instead. It would be like prohibition, but I would smuggle video games.

 

[Motti]

I'd establish an underground mafia of gamers. We'd establish gaming dens and play bootleg games, all while suiting up, wearing sweet hats and shooting tommy guns at people . . . in Call of Duty.

 

[razerdoh]

i think you mean emigrate to another country... not defect...

 

[Bealzibob]

I already kind of want to leave Australia. Only problem is I don't know where I would move to...

I have the same problem. I was considering Canada personally.

OP: As you may guess I would indeed leave at the first sign of this happening, as I hope to anyway.

 

[Farther than stars]

I voted for moving, but I'm pretty sure I'd just end up gaming illegally.

I'd hate it if I lived in Germany, where I know they outlaw some violent video games.

I think I should take the opportunity to qualify this statement on behalf of Germany (not the German Ambassador or Foreign Secretary by the way). They've only actually banned 9 games because of excessive violence and those include Condemned and Manhunt.
Personally I think the collective gaming industry is better off with those cut out of it image (at least Manhunt anyway). And if you're that desperate to get them anyway it's not like you can't run across the border to get them there.
Also Dead Rising is banned and Left 4 Dead 2 is banned, but Dead Rising 2 isn't and Left 4 Dead isn't and considering core gameplay and asthetics don't vary much between games, you might as well get those instead.
So yeah, I think you'd find like considerably easier to be gaming in Germany than in, say, Australia, where more titles are banned, for weaker (bureaucratic-related) reasons, where release dates are several months behind (that's if they ever come out) and where the price of games is double that in the U.S.

 

[Farther than stars]

No, I would become an outlaw instead. It would be like prohibition, but I would smuggle video games.

We think alike buddy. Perhaps we should set a kind of operation like that together... together. (You get what I mean.)

 

[Dys]

[sub]Actually, I might move there anyway.[/sub]

Speaking as a New Zealander, I wouldn't come anytime soon, our Government has no money.

They also don't have Tony Abott as a potential leader of the country...I dunno if New Zealanders are aware of just how embarassing it is, but I'd much rather be poor than stupid, racist and sexist :S

If gaming was outlawed here I doubt I'd notice much of a change. A whole bunch of stuff is stupid and illegal here, and like most people I simply ignore the laws. In the long term I'm probably going to leave this country anyway (I disagree with the basic idea behind our 'dig up shit and sell it without taxing it' economic policy).

 

[blankedboy]

I'd go to Australia or Singapore. Most likely Singapore. Nice and close, no shitty economy problems, cheap EVERYTHING and a strangely welcoming atmosphere. I love that country.

 

[Farther than stars]

I already kind of want to leave Australia. Only problem is I don't know where I would move to...

I have the same problem. I was considering Canada personally.

OP: As you may guess I would indeed leave at the first sign of this happening, as I hope to anyway.

Actually I really love both countries and if I do ever immigrate, it will be to either of those. The Australia-gaming-ban-thing would be bad, but then so is my French, so it's swings and roundabouts. Although I hear from StBishop that the situation in Australia is beginning to clear up.

 

[CorvusFerreum]

[...]They've only actually banned 9 games because of excessive violence and those include Condemned and Manhunt.
[..]
Also Dead Rising is banned and Left 4 Dead 2 is banned, but Dead Rising 2 isn't and Left 4 Dead isn't and considering core gameplay and asthetics don't vary much between games, you might as well get those instead.
[...]

Wait. Those are banned here? From Manhunt I knew it. But fron the others don't. I never came around to play them, but this really surprises me.

Edit: just looked it up. L4D2 is only banned in the uncut version. But the other cases: seriously. Well, many are because of "Nazi reference". Weird to ban gamed, because you can see a Swastica somewere in them, but in movies they are no problem. Anyway: banned in germany means you can't buy it here. Buy it from Amazom UK or something is still legal, as it is, to posses them. Still not good.

 

[Torrasque]

I would stay and join the resistance movement against the government, fighting for my right to play games.
But if it was only me that stood up against my tyrannical government, then I'd probably just move deep into the country.
I could never live in a country that isn't Canada =)
Maybe visit and have a summer home in Europe, but permanent living? Yeah no thanks.

Speaking of Canada...
Happy Canada day my fellow Escapists