While Germany relaxed its gaming rules in 2018, allowing modern entries like The New Order to go uncut in 2019, Grey Matter’s 2001 classic remained stuck in censorship limbo until now.
Yeah. What this lawsuit in effect did is say “Games can fall under art and education. Publishers shouldn’t think just including a swastika in a game is illegal, because it isn’t. Just as a movie can include it, a game can as well.”
Of course, it still needs to not glorify nacism deliberately or inadvertantly. But it’s sad that it took this long for this non-question “legal question” to have been finally asked in court, and answered with the most expected answer - and dare I say it - one more expected of past decades than this one.
A bit simplified: Games that cannot be sold in Germany automatically get removed from “the list” after 25 years. Or, before that, the rights holder can submit a request for reevaluation.
What changed that they can release it now?
I guess the laws did
Their interpretation did. Games now classify as art and fall under the art-related exception from censorship.
And they still cannot glorify nazi symbolism. That’ll still get you banned.
Yeah. What this lawsuit in effect did is say “Games can fall under art and education. Publishers shouldn’t think just including a swastika in a game is illegal, because it isn’t. Just as a movie can include it, a game can as well.”
Of course, it still needs to not glorify nacism deliberately or inadvertantly. But it’s sad that it took this long for this non-question “legal question” to have been finally asked in court, and answered with the most expected answer - and dare I say it - one more expected of past decades than this one.
My guess is that videogames are mainstream enough now to fall into the art exception.
A bit simplified: Games that cannot be sold in Germany automatically get removed from “the list” after 25 years. Or, before that, the rights holder can submit a request for reevaluation.