▲ 158 ▼ After 24 years, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is finally distributed uncut in Germany — game was censored due to strict laws regarding Nazi symbolism (www.tomshardware.com) submitted 3 months ago by sanitation@lemmy.today to c/technology@lemmy.world 16 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] SnoringEarthworm@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago (6 children) What changed that they can release it now? permalink fedilink source hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] Chronographs@lemmy.zip 25 points 3 months ago (3 children) 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. I guess the laws did permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 3 child comments replies: [–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 12 points 3 months ago (2 children) Their interpretation did. Games now classify as art and fall under the art-related exception from censorship. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] NessD@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 child) And they still cannot glorify nazi symbolism. That'll still get you banned. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) 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. permalink fedilink source parent [–] ViatorOmnium@piefed.social 7 points 3 months ago My guess is that videogames are mainstream enough now to fall into the art exception. permalink fedilink source parent [–] llii@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 3 months ago 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. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Chronographs@lemmy.zip 25 points 3 months ago (3 children) 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. I guess the laws did permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 3 child comments replies: [–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 12 points 3 months ago (2 children) Their interpretation did. Games now classify as art and fall under the art-related exception from censorship. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] NessD@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 child) And they still cannot glorify nazi symbolism. That'll still get you banned. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) 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. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 12 points 3 months ago (2 children) Their interpretation did. Games now classify as art and fall under the art-related exception from censorship. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] NessD@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 child) And they still cannot glorify nazi symbolism. That'll still get you banned. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) 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. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] NessD@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 child) And they still cannot glorify nazi symbolism. That'll still get you banned. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) 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. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] unwarlikeExtortion@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) 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. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] ViatorOmnium@piefed.social 7 points 3 months ago My guess is that videogames are mainstream enough now to fall into the art exception. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] llii@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 3 months ago 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. permalink fedilink source parent