Switzerland to Ban Violent Videogames

[Quad08]

The world has gone insane. I need to buy every violent game on my wish list before Canada starts thinking that this is a good idea.

Due to the fact that we're considered a 'haven for piracy' I doubt you need to worry too much

 

[Nuke_em_05]

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.

Ah we meet again, ad hominem.

Funny story, I actually have never played Duke Nuke'em all the way through. Did play Doom though. Not out of moral piety or anything. My last name is Newcomb (pronounced similarly), and it ended up becoming a nicknamne of mine.

I don't have a huge problem with violence in videogames, but some it is far more excessive than others, and there really isn't a point to it.

If they banned all violent videogames and avatars in the U.S.; I wouldn't consider my rights infringed.

You know, I have to say, I do think the entertainment industry as a whole wouldn't exactly be worse off if developers/producers were forced to focus on other parts of a film/game/television show than "how realistically can we make this guy's head explode?".

 

[SturmDolch]

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.

Actually, the Muslim Minarets were banned by public referendum, where people like me got to vote on it. This? I was never sent a voting package, so as far as I know, it's some government-only thing. I guess you need a VIP pass to vote on things that actually affect day to day life. In short, stiff-suited bureaucrats and the general people of Switzerland are NOT the same crowd.

Now, this does make me happy my parents moved to Canada before I was born. Ugh. I think governments like to pick on gamers since they know they won't protest or launch terrorist strikes. They're a group you can pick on with little consequence in the real world. Piss off environmentalists, they'll vandalize your property. Piss off the Quebecois Seperatists, they'll kill a guy. Piss off the Muslim extremists, get blown up. Governments need a scapegoat, and a scapegoat that doesn't fight back is perfect.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

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.

Again, not every country is the United States.

The Swiss have a direct/indirect form of democracy. They have a republic setup, where officials are elected by region/canton, but the people can directly vote any piece of legislature in or out so long as such action would not be a violation of the constitution.

 

[Julianking93]

Hubilub is going to be pissed about this....

OT, I don't really care. I don't live in Switzerland nor do I wish to go there.

Hopefully, this won't spread to Canada, UK, or America.

 

[Mcface]

Glad I'm in America... again.

 

[Bat Vader]

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.

Again, not every country is the United States.

The Swiss have a direct/indirect form of democracy. They have a republic setup, where officials are elected by region/canton, but the people can directly vote any piece of legislature in or out so long as such action would not be a violation of the constitution.

I understand that not every country is like the United States. It just angers me that people can be this silly. Violent video games do nothing to cause violence, there have been studies done on it. Of course finding a scapegoat in the media is the most surefire way that people can think of solving the problem.

First it was books, than it was music, than it was T.V. and now it is video games. When will people learn that the media does not have anything to do with violent tendencies in people?

 

[mattttherman3]

One word. Disgusting

 

[Zorg Machine]

The Swedish government once tried to ban foreign TV-channels because of "harmful commercial" I do not want to know what they will do once they catch wind of this.

 

[lasherman]

No way. But what will they blame everything on now?

Don't you see? They don't have to worry about that, because once violent video games are gone, all of their problems will go away!

 

[FiveSpeedf150]

Freedom and personal responsibility... remember those?

 

[MrFluffy-X]

Morons! do they not know that it was damage the gaming market? Unfair competition, overborder buying and job losses. might as well ban violent films, shows, books, etc etc We are not little children! would the government stop treating us as if we are!

 

[Nuke_em_05]

No way. But what will they blame everything on now?

Don't you see? They don't have to worry about that, because once violent video games are gone, all of their problems will go away!

What problems? How many social problems does Switzerland have?

This isn't motivated by "think of teh childrenz!" It seems more like something they (as a nation) would just rather not have.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

snip

snip

I understand that not every country is like the United States. It just angers me that people can be this silly. Violent video games do nothing to cause violence, there have been studies done on it. Of course finding a scapegoat in the media is the most surefire way that people can think of solving the problem.

First it was books, than it was music, than it was T.V. and now it is video games. When will people learn that the media does not have anything to do with violent tendencies in people?

My point was more that legislation like this is brought on (and can be removed if unwanted) by the people of that country.

They don't have many (if any) societal problems that they could be blaming videogames on. Let alone any that they might think would go away if they did get rid of violent videogames.

Maybe it is just something that they don't want in their society? Because they don't see a need or point to it?

 

[Nuke_em_05]

Freedom and personal responsibility... remember those?

Generally speaking, that system doesn't work out very welll. Just look at the United States; plenty of the former, an almost absense of the latter.

Again, a strawman people are using is that they are doing this to reduce violent crime or something. There are virtually no social problems in Switzerland that they could be trying to remedy with this.

It seems that they (as a nation) have decided that they don't want it in their country.

 

[open trap]

And they are a democracy.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

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

Don't they have some form of direct democracy? If that's true, wouldn't that also imply that Swiss citizens have been given a say in this?

They should re-skin that Pandemic flash game from diseases to supporters of the violent-video-games-make-our-children-eat-babies bandwagon.

 

[siddif]

Thats disgraceful, being a media student i get all these hypodermic syringe theories from time to time, be it games, movies and surprisingly in the 50s it was blamed on comics.

Violent games ≠ violent people. In fact id argue it vents frustration more than anything.

How long is it until some law decrees that stomping on Goombas is murder and must be stopped?

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

It seems that they (as a nation) have decided that they don't want it in their country.

And that gives me the clawing and incorrigible impression that people there are boring, no matter what might be the contrary.

 

[-AC80-]

No way. But what will they blame everything on now?

If religion isn't next I have lost ALL hope in them