What will happen to Crytek if Gemany bans voilent video games?

[TheANIMAL]

Crytek is based in Germany so this whole ordeal puts Crytek on thin ice.

What happens if the law is passed, does this mean Crytek wont be allowed to produce "violent" videogames in Germany anymore?

http://videogamesrepublic.com/?p=4359

[SintoX]

Crytek is not only producing in Germany. I producing such games in Germany will be forbidden quarters in Germany will just move to another country.
Could be UK where they bought the Free Radical Studios or Bulgaria where they bought the Black Sea Studios.

But I don't think that such a law will pass.

[TheANIMAL]

Well i know there are Crytek studios in Kiev, Ukraine; Budapest in Hungary; Sofia, Bulgaria; and Nottingham in England.

I know this is hardly going to be a critical blow to Crytek, but it will be a blow none the less.

[zaha]

Well, as the article pointed out, if this law comes into effect Crytek would need to outsource Crysis 2. Or they may even consider moving their office to a different country altogether.

But first this law has to pass the Bundestag, which the paintball ban didn't make by the way. As the fanbase for video games is most likely larger than the one for paintball, I guess and hope the same will happen to this absurd demand. And when the federal elections come this fall, they will be getting the bill for this one from me.

[AoP]

Quite a while ago Crytek already announced that they'd leave Germany if such a law would ever pass. I believe to remember blogging about it shortly before the Crysis release in summer of 2007.

With studios in Kiev, Budapest and the recently acquired Free Radical aka Crytek UK, they'd certainly be gone in no time. I'd go to Berlin and personally applaud all of our representatives for scaring off one of the few future-proof branches and employers we actually have over here. Still, a law like that would definitely be a blow to Crytek as Frankfurt is Crytek's headquarters and the vast majority of their employees reside and work there - actually we have two people around here who moved there more or less just recently.

On the other hand, I am still somewhat doubtful that a law like that could actually pass.

[Stahlseele]

With the alternative being taking a look at the other big common that these berserker sprees had?
They would have to take a look at the schools, the educational system. They would have to take families/parentes into responsibility!
And that could cost votes. Whereas this is a s big a publicity as possible. Takes all the people of their generation out of the game of responsibility.
And takes away something from the younger people that the older people simply do not like/understand.

[Virt]

First we take Manhattan.

Then we take Berlin!

[KorJax]

"Hey guys I have a great idea, we don't want to be like old Germany under the third Reich back in World War 2 at all so we're going to completely ban violent video games, because they make you violent, I say!"


Does anyone else see the massive irony in the situation?

[Cujo]

I'm surprised that they tried to ban paintball , although I think they have some strict policies on it iirc.  Like half of Germany plays CSS, provided nothing has changed since I was over there.  I think it's a safe bet the bill won't pass. 

[(TLL)Nick]

I think the world would break down, there would be mass chaos, NATO would split, and NASA would spy on themselves for fear of espionage.

[AoP]

"Hey guys I have a great idea, we don't want to be like old Germany under the third Reich back in World War 2 at all so we're going to completely ban violent video games, because they make you violent, I say!"


Does anyone else see the massive irony in the situation?

You're entirely missing the point here Korjax.

[TheANIMAL]

I think the world would break down, there would be mass chaos, NATO would split, and NASA would spy on themselves for fear of espionage.

HahahaHAHA!!! 

[Askis]

[...] I'd go to Berlin and personally applaud all of our representatives for scaring off one of the few future-proof branches and employers we actually have over here. [...]

That's exactly the point the politicians don't want to know about.
The videogames industry is huge and still growing, sending a well known studio packing just to appease the idiotic "Bild"-readers (yes, I'm generalising here ) and secure their votes, is one of the worst decisions they could make.
While I believe, that the focus on FPS as cause for the school shootings is no accident, trying to convince someone who's misinformed and too old/stupid/stubborn/whatever to take a closer a look and form their own opinion is nearly impossible...

The funny thing is, my grandfather (was in WW2 briefly) saw me trying out CoD5 some time back.
He asked me if that was one of those violent games everyone was talking about, when I said yes, he just laughed.
He couldn't understand what all the fuss was about >_>

[KorJax]

"Hey guys I have a great idea, we don't want to be like old Germany under the third Reich back in World War 2 at all so we're going to completely ban violent video games, because they make you violent, I say!"


Does anyone else see the massive irony in the situation?

You're entirely missing the point here Korjax.

I know the point, an unfortunate situation happened where a kid did some killings, and Germany did a knee-jerk reaction to it.  It would be bad for both Crytek and any gamer who plays titles above the +13 (or whatever it is over there) rating, much in the same way they have rediculous restrictions to games with blood and such in them (such as TF2).

I was just pointing out that for all the "understandable" great lengths Germany does to erase and avoid it past, they want to pass laws that are directly parallel to the kinds of regulations done in the very past they try so hard to forget.

[Ghiest]

First it was books that was corrupting the youth ...
Then it was radio
Then it was cinema
Then it was rock and roll / music
Then it was Videos
Then it was tv
Now it's computer games turn.

Basically they need something to cover up basic bad parenting and the break down of society so anything that is popular for the kids is the main target.  The fact that youngsters have access to weaponry that allows them to commit mass killings is a point of contention for me rather than games first.