Switzerland to Ban Violent Videogames

[Sixties Spidey]

Oh, for FUCK'S SAKE.


Isn't EVERY SINGLE GAME a "violent game" in some way shape or form? Even your average Mario or Wii ____ game has some level of violence in it no matter how toned down it is. This is just a waste of fucking time and money.

/thread

Show me the violence going on in Flower, Tetris or Gran Turismo.

Flower. Controlling wind to blow flowers away from stems. In all actuality, you're cutting em off from water and food which would help the flowers grow, so there, the flowers would die.

Tetris. Stack bricks to clear rows of bricks. You are killing/clearing rows of bricks.

Gran Turismo. Crashing your car into the sides of the track so hard that the entire car becomes damaged and the wheel/controller you are using begins to shake violently. And/or crashing into other vehicles should the fancy take you.

Pretty much sums up my point rather well.

 

[Kor Khan]

Well, it looks like the Enlightenment mindset of "mentally sound adults should be free to do as they please, as long as it doesn't harm others" is going out of fashion, at least in my country. Shame really. Not that the law isn't completely stupid for other reasons, considering how incredibly vague it is. What counts as violent content exactly: Is Dragon Age violent? Age of Empires? How about Chess?

While I personally will just go on importing games from Amazon or from over the border (I'm ten minutes away from both France and Germany), the trends regarding censorship are disturbing to say the least. And it looks like Germany is going in the same direction too... hope you're more lucky than us, America, or else we're truly screwed.

Sincerely, a disgruntled citizen of the Cantons.

 

[SimuLord]

Oh, for FUCK'S SAKE.


Isn't EVERY SINGLE GAME a "violent game" in some way shape or form? Even your average Mario or Wii ____ game has some level of violence in it no matter how toned down it is. This is just a waste of fucking time and money.

/thread

Show me the violence going on in Flower, Tetris or Gran Turismo.

Flower. Controlling wind to blow flowers away from stems. In all actuality, you're cutting em off from water and food which would help the flowers grow, so there, the flowers would die.

Tetris. Stack bricks to clear rows of bricks. You are killing/clearing rows of bricks.

Gran Turismo. Crashing your car into the sides of the track so hard that the entire car becomes damaged and the wheel/controller you are using begins to shake violently. And/or crashing into other vehicles should the fancy take you.

Pretty much sums up my point rather well.

And this isn't even beginning to mention some of the things you can do to the Sims.

 

[Delusibeta]

Before I go into a rage post, I should ask a question: does the UK have a similar system installed aaages ago (see: Manhunt 2)? AFAIK they only banned two games, both eventually got unbanned. Or is it something worse?

 

[Eldan]

This from the country that requires all male citizens to keep an assault rifle in their house?

Err....

Still, this is another bad idea from the same crowd in the government who banned most Minarets on Mosques.

Piss off Muslims and gamers?

I think this calls for a little Kids In The Hall.


Nothing against Swiss people mind, just the idiots they have in government.

Actually, the muslim one came from the people, not the government. That was by popular vote. This one is government, though, and we could still try and vote it down.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

Snip

Dear god people may express their dislike over a law that restricts they're right to free expression! I mean clearly this could never ever be used as justification by others for similar laws in their country. Nor could it ever be used to justify further restitution Nosirebob, something that effects their hobby should be of no concern to them at all!

One, not every country is the United States.
Two, the Swiss actually have a much stronger form of democracy in which the people have absolute authority to pass or remove any legislation such that it does not violate their constitution.

So... you think there's a right to play unmitigated violence? A right granted by...? I don't think any form of Creator would really say it is necessary. If there is no Creator, "rights" are granted by a government; and when the government in question is all about the end of war, violence, poverty, disease, and all other forms of human suffering; I can certainly see their point.

Reductio ad Orwell seems to be a popular claim when it comes to "censorship". They probably see less benefit than detriment with violence in videogames. I certainly can't see a benefit in the violence of most "best-sellers". There are, perhaps not as much as hype would suggest, detriments as well.

Why is violence necessary in a videogame?

What makes it a "right"?

 

[Eldan]

And they make enough money by hoarding the fortunes of every dictator, drug lord and war criminal on the planet, so I doubt they'll miss your few Francs.

Doesn-t really work... we have such things as banking laws too, you know. Movies greatly overexaggerate the secret banking thing.

 

[Wardnath]

Umm, didn't Greece try this a number of years ago?

Also, those who are suggesting that this is Australian-influenced, kindly quit this forum, because you're a colossal tool.

OT: I give this a month, at the most.

 

[Delusibeta]

Why is violence necessary in a videogame?

What makes it a "right"?

Says the person with a Duke Nukeum avatar.

On a serious point, the same can be said about films (*cough* Saw *cough*) and, to a lesser extent, television.

 

[karmapolizei]

Well, it serves those Swiss right for the smugness they showed over German youth protection laws.. ha, take that!

Kidding aside, let's not get worked up about this. Apart from what this guy said:

There hasn't been any actual law that has been put in place as of yet, Our Federal Counsel still has to write down the contents of such a law, and while doing so, decide on a complete ban on violent games or simply forbid them to be sold to minors.

(note that "violent" games are defined as those who show "scenes of cruelty towards humans or quasi-humans". In short this would count most PEGI 16 - 18 games)

On top of that, I don't think it's half bad. These two motions the parliament passed to the government to make into law still have some serious problems:
1. They're sort of concurrent. One wants an ban of sale violent game to minors, which, let's face it, is nothing any other country wouldn't have. (Incidentally, I'm pretty sure that Australian gamers would liketo have a law like that.)
2. What's more important, both laws would probably need a national government rating agency in place. Now, I'm not an avid follower of everyday Swiss politics, but from what I gather from a quick research on the topic, no such thing is in place. There's not even such a thing as a federal youth protection law, and the Justice Secretary seems to think that they'd need to change the constitution to do that. You'd wonder how that'll end.

 

[feather240]

Don't worry, the Baby Boomers can't live forever. When they're dead we will rebuild.

Who needs Fallout 3?

 

[tomtom94]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...
That is all there is to say really.
More worryingly, Switzerland is in the EU, which Britain has to obey by virtue of the fact we are the bitches of anyone bigger and more powerful than us...

Actually, Switzerland is not part of the EU; and the UK has the fourth highest military budget in the world, the only EU country with a better military (statisticswise at least) is France.

I have been rectified about this earlier. I still fear Switzerland will now be held up as an example by those who disagree with videogames.

 

[Fat Hippo]

Even if it does get amended later, it's still surprising and sad that this passed. I do wish that lawmakers would take the time to actually learn about what it is they're making legislature on rather than just going off of what they hear. My condolences to Swiss gamers out there - hopefully this will indeed be altered and you'll get to keep the same range that you currently have.

It hasn't passed yet, thank god. I'm still hoping very strongly it won't. Our government can be so fucking retarded sometimes. And if it does, I'm migrating. Seriously, screw that.

 

[LWS666]

i want every country to ban violent games, so when violence stays the same they'll realise they're dumbasses.

the problem is population, if you stop 1000 people from being violent, by then 1500 more will be born to be violent. it's the pyramid scheme from hell.

 

[Sworm]

Well, it serves those Swiss right for the smugness they showed over German youth protection laws.. ha, take that!

Kidding aside, let's not get worked up about this. Apart from what this guy said:

...

On top of that, I don't think it's half bad. These two motions the parliament passed to the government to make into law still have some serious problems:
1. They're sort of concurrent. One wants an ban of sale violent game to minors, which, let's face it, is nothing any other country wouldn't have. (Incidentally, I'm pretty sure that Australian gamers would liketo have a law like that.)
2. What's more important, both laws would probably need a national government rating agency in place. Now, I'm not an avid follower of everyday Swiss politics, but from what I gather from a quick research on the topic, no such thing is in place. There's not even such a thing as a federal youth protection law, and the Justice Secretary seems to think that they'd need to change the constitution to do that. You'd wonder how that'll end.

1) yes both are concurrent, thus the reason why the Federal Counsel will have to deside which way they want to swing.
2) That is a possibility, but more likely is that they'll simply ban based on PEGI's reviews of said games. a lot easier to do.

 

[Frogman54]

No... It... It can't be...
We need the A-team!

Yes! call em up asap!

 

[Big Max]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...
That is all there is to say really.
More worryingly, Switzerland is in the EU, which Britain has to obey by virtue of the fact we are the bitches of anyone bigger and more powerful than us...

You do realise that Switzerland isn't in the EU? It just happens to be in Europe.

It seems fairly stupid that they put these restrictions on video games, but not on things like movies, which can probably be even worse than games.

 

[Chesterfield Snapdragon McFisticuffs]

No! Does this mean Tejb will still be able to play Modern Warfare on Machinima? I love that guy!

 

[internetzealot1]

Hmm...the Swiss...banning something violent?

 

[Bat Vader]

Banning violent video games will surely help stop the flow of violence. /sarcasm

How is this even right? I could banning mature rated game selling to minors but the adults that are old enough to play it can't. That is crap, it is like the Swiss government knows what the people want but they don't.

This is why I hate politicians and how much power they have. This should have been put up to a national vote.