
Then you are setting yourself up for this. Suppose a conservative politician needs those extra votes at the wrong time. Suppose you try to release a grizzly game about murdering people with plastic bags at the hight of another armed teenage gunman tragedy. Now that is a layer you have to develop a talent for in order to trigger it. (4) Seized by the police (Beschlagnahmt). The USK is an industry invention and this was their legal loophole to shut the BPJS up. If a game has an USK rating, the BPJS can do nothing. You can buy, or order, those games the same way you would order an USK18 title.

That's it, that is what's happening to the PEGI Version. If they deem your game to be unhealthy for children, you may not advertise it or sell it to minor. (3) Suppose you did not get an USK rating, then there might be a chance another institution trying to protect children could spring into action. USK is made by the industry to service the needs of the industry. Since every game needs to be rated, or else, the rating system is a real barrier of entry to independent developers.
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It is then assumed to be "rated 18" requiring age verification at the dealer or by the postman. (2) You do not get an USK rating, in which event you still get to sell your game. CoD will be standing next to the Sims anywhere. There is no such nonsense as "no M-Rated games at Wallmart" or anything. Even rated 18 will mean every store will carry it. (1) You get an USK rating, in which event, your game will be anywhere.

I try to explain it if four layers of bad that can happen. Living in Germany I can tell you it is quite the opposite. It is not correct that an unrated game cannot be sold in German shops. There are plenty games available in Germany featuring rag-doll corpses and dismemberment. "Buy this now, it is so brutal Germans can't buy it!" Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but come Wednesday the game might be deemed to "endanger the youth", but still widely available. The fact of this getting hyped in public is nothing but advertisement. Historically speaking, the council is too important. Nobody would argue for changing any law the council made because of a video game. Nobody is shedding a tear in Germany, if that gets replaced by another symbol. The fact that Activision has to remove the swastikas dates back to a law put in place by the Allied Control Council. Because in Germany the act of violence is what makes the rating, not the detail of the visual implementation. Team Fortress is mutilated beyond recognition with enemies "bleeding" candy and even that version got an 18 rating. Removing rag-doll and bloodspatter is not going to impact the rating when the only action in the game is pulling the trigger on people. It remains Activision's secret why they self-censored the German version in the first place. Stores will be quite happy about that, since they can now overcharge even more for the Pegi version. But there will be another layer of verification that you really are 18. If you want it, you can get it, nobody will stop you, ever. Nothing is being banned in the sense of becoming unavailable.


The BPjM would not discuss the ongoing case with Germany, but indicated a decision would be made on Wednesday.Īny ban would cover all international versions of the game and could affect imports from UK retailers and mail order companies into Germany.Īctivision made heavy cuts to the USK 18 version of the game - which will remain on sale - by removing rag-doll effects, blood spatter and a torture scene.Įffectively this means that the postman will check your ID and that you have to ask at the counter in the store, because the game will no longer be in shelves. sells both SKUs, with the PEGI version proving more popular in pre-orders. Imported versions of Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops are likely to be banned in Germany this week.Īccording to a report by the German website Schnittberichte, the Federal Department of Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM) received an urgent action to ban the Austrian version of the game last week.Īlthough a censored version of the game is available to buy with a USK 18 rating, independent retailers have imported the Austrian version of the game rated by PEGI - and enjoyed a brisk business.
