Germany took over the six month rotating presidency of the Union at the beginning of January. The European Commission is pushing to standardize rules for more control over video game violence throughout the 27 countries in the Union.
"A certain degree of linkage between the growing violence among the younger generation and the growing diffusion of violent games exists. Protection of children cannot have borders," said Franco Frattini, the European Justice commissioner.
Minimum age rules on certain titles and outright bans on the most violent games are under consideration. The German government plans to conduct a study of all the different national rules concerning video games. Judging by recent events in Germany regarding violent video games, the government has previously proposed a national law banning games that depict violence toward human characters, bans are fairly likely.
Although the Interactive Software Federation of Europe has opposed bans of any kind in the past, the group has recently announced they supports Frattini's efforts to protect children. They believe an age-rating system is a solid idea.
News source: InfoWorld
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