Loads of Germans sign pro-games petition

Over 28,000 people in Germany have signed a petition to get the Government to reconsider proposals to ban violent videogames.

Last month Germany's interior ministers threatened to kick off about 'killerspiele' ahead of elections later this year.

However, under the rules outlined on the Government website (in German, obviously), if a petition gets more than 50,000 signatures within three weeks, the Petitions Committee holds a public hearing so the petitioners can present their case.

The petition itself, helpfully translated by our friends at Eurogamer.de, implores German citizens:

• to erase the irritating and discriminating term of "killerspiele" from political discussion;
• to strengthen the trust of the public in existing national youth-protection mechanics;
• to improve and warrant the execution of existing laws, that ensure kids and the youth only get access to video- and computer games appropriate according the USK;
• to support parents, teachers [or pedagogues, if you're translating into your second language - thanks again Tanja!] and educational responsible persons in the advancement of media competence;
• to promote the computer- and videogames industry in Germany and especially the training of these promising professions.

Girl power!

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/loads-of-germans-sign-pro-games-petition

This issue seems to have more staying power than a lot of people said it would when it was first introduced.

I wonder what will become of this ... and of similar bans proposed in Australia (which seems to be even worse).

Mike from Morgantown

It´s atleast nice to see them fight back, hopefully they will get their 50 000 votes so they can proceed.

I found this link from gamepolitics. It looks to be progressing at a rapid pace, good luck to them.

http://sejmwatch.info/petition/verbot/action-computerspiele/verbot-action-computerspiele.html

That's the true power, heart, and dedication of the gamers.

Hopefully they get what they want.

I hope they succed. This is issue about forbidding violent games is an absurd. We have violent movies since foverer, but no-one thinks about forbidding them, but games are always the target. I know in the beggining movies were seen as nocive, but games are blamed for everything nowadays, even diseases. Hopefully this gen(of society, not consoles, please) will confirm videogames as normal and mainstream, with the help of the Wii. For as much as i dislike the system, it has this positive side of expanding the video game culture beyond even where PS2 did.

Who cares. Those Germans shouldnt be allowed to play any games anyways.

On a related note, the petition against censorship of the internet was signed by way more than 100,000 people and it still didnt help.

And why shouldn't they?