EU Considering Regulating Sale of Violent Games

News Reader · Post by **News Reader** » June 14th, 2007, 11:00

EU Considering Regulating Sale of Violent Games
Spamicles writes "European Union justice ministers met today in order to discuss the regulation of sales of violent video games to minors. Europeans were riled up last year when a German gunman shot several people before taking his life at a secondary school. A European Union Commissioner is taking advantage of the shootings last year called for stricter regulations in the video game industry. A motion introduced last month calls for legislators to "put in place all necessary measures to ban the sale of particularly violent and cruel video games.""

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Author: samzenpus
Category: pcgames
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Source: Slashdot: Games
Description: News for nerds, stuff that matters

Post by **FatherJack** » June 14th, 2007, 11:08

Germany has the strictest rules on game censorship in the western world.

Post by **Dog Pants** » June 14th, 2007, 11:23

I'm sick of hearing about this sort of thing now. I can't even be bothered to raise my emotional level above lethargic about it.

eion · Post by **eion** » June 14th, 2007, 11:27

Dog Pants wrote:I'm sick of hearing about this sort of thing now. I can't even be bothered to raise my emotional level above lethargic about it.

Which is exactly what "they" want...

Lateralus · Post by **Lateralus** » June 14th, 2007, 11:48

Spending the extra time and effort to further regulate and restrict gun-ownership would surely do more to prevent crap like this.

eion · Post by **eion** » June 14th, 2007, 12:09

Lateralus wrote:Spending the extra time and effort to further regulate and restrict gun-ownership would surely do more to prevent crap like this.

But the funny thing is, criminals don't obey laws, including gun ownership laws. Personally, I'd rather be able to defend myself.

Mr. Johnson · Post by **Mr. Johnson** » June 14th, 2007, 12:28

eion wrote: But the funny thing is, criminals don't obey laws, including gun ownership laws. Personally, I'd rather be able to defend myself.

in that case, do like me and get a chainsaw. even if it doesn't start you can still beat someone to death with it.

eion · Post by **eion** » June 14th, 2007, 12:43

Mr. Johnson wrote:
in that case, do like me and get a chainsaw. even if it doesn't start you can still beat someone to death with it.

Which is why armed police are given chainsaws...

I'll stick with allowing people to defend themselves with guns, thanks.

(Not to mention smaller people, who may be unable to wield a chainsaw effectively.)

Mr. Johnson · Post by **Mr. Johnson** » June 14th, 2007, 12:51

eion wrote: Which is why armed police are given chainsaws...

I'll stick with allowing people to defend themselves with guns, thanks.

(Not to mention smaller people, who may be unable to wield a chainsaw effectively.)

shooting things may be fun, but you haven't lived untill you pummel someone to death with something. and i for one approve of the idea of chainsaw-issued police.

Fear · Post by **Fear** » June 14th, 2007, 12:53

eion wrote:(Not to mention smaller people, who may be unable to wield a chainsaw effectively.)

Perhaps they should try hedge trimmers?

Post by **ProfHawking** » June 14th, 2007, 12:55

what you need is that chainsaw gun.

and one of these in your pockets:

Yep, its a shooting knife combo

Mr. Johnson · Post by **Mr. Johnson** » June 14th, 2007, 12:56

i also found out that it's the way people here in oz do it;

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ ... 18704.html

Post by **fabyak** » June 14th, 2007, 13:15

Mr. Johnson wrote:i also found out that it's the way people here in oz do it;

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ ... 18704.html

When that was opening, my odd brain was hoping for a story involving Police, wielding chainsaws, chopping off a naughty mans arms...

Post by **Joose** » June 14th, 2007, 17:16

eion wrote:I'll stick with allowing people to defend themselves with guns, thanks.

Yeah, because that works out so well.

oh, no, wait, a large percentage of gun fatalities in peoples homes in america are people being shot with their own guns. Ah well.

eion · Post by **eion** » June 14th, 2007, 18:16

Joose wrote:oh, no, wait, a large percentage of gun fatalities in peoples homes in america are people being shot with their own guns. Ah well.

Yeah, shooting themselves. It's hard to stop people from killing themselves - if guns were illegal, they'd just find some other way of doing it.

But normal people being shot with their own guns by criminals? I doubt that.

edit: another little statistic you don't have is the number of times a gun was drawn in self-defence but not fired (because the attacker was subdued or fled), which is precisely when guns are at their best.

Post by **deject** » June 14th, 2007, 18:37

oh hey look a gun debate

Post by **Dog Pants** » June 14th, 2007, 18:53

At least it's a change from 'why video games are/aren't the Devil'.

Post by **tandino** » June 14th, 2007, 19:22

http://pown.alluc.org/?uid=985

also <a href="http://pown.alluc.org/?uid=980">this</a> seems quite relevant, given the way these debates usually turn out.

Post by **Joose** » June 14th, 2007, 19:42

eion wrote: Yeah, shooting themselves. It's hard to stop people from killing themselves - if guns were illegal, they'd just find some other way of doing it.

But normal people being shot with their own guns by criminals? I doubt that.

uh, no, actually. The statistic is relating to homicides, not suicides.

Anyway, make it easier for you to own a gun = making it easier for a crim to own a gun to shoot back at you. Evidence: Look at the amount of petty crime in england involving guns compared to the amount of petty crime in america involving guns (and yes, I do mean taking into account population differences etc). And yes, I know making guns illegal doesnt stop criminals from getting them, but its a damn sight harder if people cant just pop to their local gun shop.

As this all sparked off as a result of that news article, lets look at it this way: whats more likely to have helped someone to shoot people?

a)Playing a violent computer game.
b)Owning a gun.

But as has been said, this argument has been done to death. You support gun ownership and probably have arguments you think are totally convincing. I think gun ownership is bloody stupid, and have arguments I think are totally convincing. Im sure you disagree with most of my arguments, and vice versa. So lets just fuck it off and shoot some people in the face.

And in the game, too.

Post by **Dr. kitteny berk** » June 14th, 2007, 21:32

Joose wrote:But as has been said, this argument has been done to death. You support gun ownership and probably have arguments you think are totally convincing. I think gun ownership is bloody stupid, and have arguments I think are totally convincing. Im sure you disagree with most of my arguments, and vice versa.

Fuck that. I wanna see the Eion vs. Joose Argument.