Germany cracks down on Crackdown


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Germany cracks down on Crackdown

[uPDATE] Country's ratings board refuses classification on upcoming Xbox 360 game; shooter could face restricted release in Germany. Microsoft responds.

German censors have targeted yet another Xbox 360 game as being unsuitable for young gamers. As it effectively "banned" Dead Rising and Gears of War, the German ratings board, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbskontrolle (USK), has refused classification on Microsoft's upcoming Crackdown.

By failing to receive a rating, Crackdown will have a handful of restrictions placed on its sales. As an unclassified game, Crackdown cannot be sold to minors, the transaction must take place in person, and the game can not be displayed or advertised in stores.

The decision to not rate the game is, like both Gears of War and Dead Rising, likely due to the game's violence. In Crackdown, players take on the role of a cop with superhuman powers who takes on gangs through brute force.

The USK's decision on Crackdown comes less than a month after proposed legislation in the country was drafted seeking jail time for gamers who performed "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters."

In response to the USK's decision, Microsoft told GameSpot, "Microsoft respects the decision of the German ratings board--the USK--not to provide the title with a rating. While Microsoft will continue to follow its policy of not publishing unrated titles, we remain committed to delivering Crackdown and other top-quality entertainment experiences to age-appropriate audiences around the world."

Crackdown is rated M for Mature by the ESRB for "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs" and will be released in North America on February 20. For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage.

By Tim Surette -- GameSpot

Posted Jan 5, 2007 7:09 pm CT

Story from GameSpot: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6163793.html

Copyright ?2006 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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proposed legislation in the country was drafted seeking jail time for gamers who performed "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters."

wtf? they got issues

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Hmmm, I don't think they are doing this the smart way. Slap a "M" on it and call it a day. The gamers that want the game will still get it, just now the people that didn't really know much about it won't end up buying a game they might like.. :no:

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wtf? they got issues

Well heck, the country only killed a couple million people in the not so distant past.

From the looks of it, this is a bit overzealous on their part in an attempt to prevent the sins of their fathers from repeating itself.

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Yes, they're totally paranoid in that regards over here... :wacko:

About that legislation, it's only proposed by some freaked-out hardliners - the chance of it getting through are next to none.

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Well heck, the country only killed a couple million people in the not so distant past.

From the looks of it, this is a bit overzealous on their part in an attempt to prevent the sins of their fathers from repeating itself.

And is by no means anything new. They completely banned Wolfenstein 3d back in the day. Of course that dealt with more sensitive NAZI type issues. At least this game along with Dead Rising and Gears of War can still be sold in stores...right? The jail time legislation seems very extreme.

I'm sure this is being fueled by the public (if not the older public) in Germany. Public policy is fueled by public hysteria in any proclaiming democracy.

At some point the pendulum will swing back the other way, but lets hope that it is critcally dampened that time around.

-shad

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where they once burned books, games will follow...?

i really don't get this. how violent can it be? and when will this f***ed up world society realize that people are NATURALLY supposed to tell the difference between fiction and the corporeal world? damn this phobic ignorance!

there were psychos long before electronic media came along, as we all know...

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