Bavarian minister Joachim Herrmann has likened violent video games to child pornography and drugs in a new press release posted earlier today. Game Politics have provided a translation via one of their readers.Herrmann was quoted saying:
"Such games are one of the causes for youth violence and also for school shootings, where images from killer games become reality." He continued saying that "more and more children are getting mired in this virtual world of violence", and "they have no time left for school or job training, and are lost to our society."
The press release follows after last month's school shooting in Winnenden when former high school pupil Tim Kretschmer killed 9 pupils, 3 teachers and 2 other members of the public as he made his escape. Since the shooting there has been a rise in government officials criticizing violent games, however Herrmann is a frequent critic and has gone one step further in his latest attack.
In the last line of the press release Herrmann goes on to say:
"In regards to their harmful effects, [violent video games] are on the same level as child pornography and illegal drugs, the ban on which rightly is unquestioned."
The press release comes on the same day as the German Games Awards and Video Game Conference took place in Munich. German game associations G.A.M.E, BIU and ESB have now released statements of their own and asked for an apology.
The German commissioner for the New Media Thomas Jarzombek, has criticized Herrmann's attack saying:
"The comparison is completely inappropriate... anyone making such statements is unqualified to participate in any further debate [regarding the] protection of minors from harmful media."
In fact, I think that if they were to outright ban violent video games, people who have a violent tendency may perhaps be more inclined to act it out in the real world as opposed to within the virtual world of games...
I agree! Many people, including me, can play games and understand that they are different to reality.
If somebody plays GTW and decides to go around shooting people up, then it isn't the game that has caused that, they already have something wrong with them and have always been capable of doing that sometime in the future anyway. The game has just given them the idea at that time just like a news story about a shooting might give them that idea in the future.
Exactly. Could make the situation far worse. Rather have violent people playing video games than on the streets taking it out on me. I could just compare sever real games to violence. Football and Hockey rather violent. uh.. soccer or football quite violent and the fans as well.
I like the idea they banned computer games way back in the 1920s
they are just looking for someone convenient to blame
CAUSE ITS NEVER THE PARENTS FAULT RIGHT
CAUSE ITS NEVER THE PARENTS FAULT RIGHT
No, but it's not always the parent's fault either.
Let's not leap on "it's all the parents' fault" bandwagon. There are many reasons for these things to happen, including genetic issues.
CAUSE ITS NEVER THE PARENTS FAULT RIGHT
No, but it's not always the parent's fault either.
Let's not leap on "it's all the parents' fault" bandwagon. There are many reasons for these things to happen, including genetic issues.
I would rather say, social issues.
Social issues include PARENTS' FAULT because let's addmit it, we parents are bad sometimes :p and [social problems of children also include] things such as friendly and loving [and bullying] relationships, that can completely change a person, specially at childhood.
Genetics wont define most of who you are (in personality). They will mostly influence physical stuff. Physical stuff has always mental stuff associated, so i guess it influences a little.
Anyway, maybe violent behavior in German Children might have something to do with a violent German past. idk... just sayin.
Anyway, maybe violent behavior in German Children might have something to do with a violent German past. idk... just sayin.
that is a far-fetched statement. What happened in German past does not affect children of the current generation. Neonazis is a different story and you find them everywhere, even in the US. It's not a country specific problem.
Anyway, maybe violent behavior in German Children might have something to do with a violent German past. idk... just sayin.
that is a far-fetched statement. What happened in German past does not affect children of the current generation. Neonazis is a different story and you find them everywhere, even in the US. It's not a country specific problem.
though, neonazism is sort of more connected to Germany
(i'm not insulting Germany at all, its a problem they have, other countries have their problems. in other discussion i could include any other country, but Germany is cleary associated with this specific subject. accepting the past is a good thing, let's do it then
Some people will have mental problems in life, that’s just a fact, its as much TV and films that cause these people to go and do crazy things. Saying its just violent video games is a very wild statement, and as usual should just be ignored.
Now back to gta.... oh I mean little big planet!!!!
*grins* That's my way of saying this guy isn't important enough to make the news.
*grins* That's my way of saying this guy isn't important enough to make the news.
lrn2geography
?
Doomed!!! :8
...yet again.
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