@Daniel, soft drugs are only legalized in the Netherlands. That is hardly the same as some countries in Europe. And legalized is not the same thing as legal. They allow you to have some from your own use but not big quantities. And soft drugs isn't dangerous to you, it is a myth. Only hard drugs such as cocaine, heroine, etc are in fact dangerous. Of course, with everything that you do, don't do it too much, but even holding your wee can kill you.

First of all i am pleased that a lot of Dutch gamers take the time to reply on this post.

Will Hirsch Ballin get his way? Well it will all be up to the EU and not the Netherlands alone. One thing is for sure and that is that it will have an effect on the industry and the consumers will get to pay the bill.

@ Daniel,
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It’s amazing that one moron in Germany goes and shoots some people and that’s set off a chain reaction that is going to imprison innocent gamers possibly. This is madness and it needs to stop right now.
===
Funny thing a cuople of years ago i thought the same thing when you substitute Germany for America and gamers for Moslims.

My point being let's not give the crazy people in the world the power to set in motion that kind of chain reaction. Where 1 person does something does not mean that a whole group is responsible. Or to put it into more simple words...Let's all be carefull so the innocent will not suffer needlessly in an attempt to stop the guilty.

In before Congress tears him a new one.

Poor guy. Doesn't he know that when he speaks on his own except as a mouth piece of his party, he gets raped?

Protip: no drug is legalized in the Netherlands. Soft drugs are 'tolerated', meaning you are allowed to use them, and carry very small amounts on you.

It's always hilarious to see American potheads get arrested because they walk around with ten metric tons of freshly-purchased weed.

I've heard that marijuana is legal..

Daniel. I think you just one the completely out of touch award.

Is that really the best picture they could find of this guy? He looks as though he really DOES have a head sized object in his ass.

Those politicians in Europe SUCK. They need to STOP BEING TURDS. It's amazing that one moron in Germany goes and shoots some people and that's set off a chain reaction that is going to imprison innocent gamers possibly. This is madness and it needs to stop right now. I'm very lucky to live in the U. S. where there's freedom of choice. Also, I've heard that in some of these countries, marijuana is legal. Drugs are legal, but video games aren't. Does that make sense? I don't think so but hey I don't have my head up my ass. These European politicians all have their heads up their asses.

@ marious
Mr. Hirsch Ballin spoke on this subject from the view of his party not as much as a minister of the current cabinet. His political party is also in favour of an anti-soft drug policy. Which is in complience of EU law. So in that case he is not being hypocrytical.

Altough i still be believe he is wrong. I am afraid that this will result in a lot of money being spend to ban certain games and introducing officials that enforce the law by checking to see if gamestores do not sell violent games to young people. Not to mention the illegal games. While there is no way to prevent a simiular situation from happening, like what happened in Germany. Just by checking the age of the consumer or banning certain games. Maybe they should add a sticker next to the adviced age sticker saying..."if you are menthal or a down right psycho, DO NOT buy this game"!!!

@ Jordan
Yes we have such a thing which does look like a first amendment for the entire EU, except the DUTCH ( and the French) voted against it so now we are without descent protection of our civil rights.

@ Iliad
The Dutch are known for their open-mindedness and relax attitude to sex and drugs.

@ doggy spew-
Stop using the babelfish when you're not hitchhiking ; )
here a different (imho better) translation

Berlin-
The two Gymnasium (In various European countries: a top-grade secondary school which prepares pupils for university) students that stabbed a couple to death in the Northern Germany's town called "Tessin", were possibly inspired by the violent videogame called Final Fantasy VII.

The 17 year old boys rang the doorbell and stabbed the 46 year occupant to death, and then murdered his 41 year old wife aswell.
After that they tried to make their getaway using their victims car and by taking a 15 year old girl hostage.
The two boys drove trough the garden fence and ran into a parked car. The girl got away unharmed.

The detectives assigned to the case confiscated the computers of the two boys. According to "Bild"(German newspaper/magazine) the two boys called eachother "Sephiroth and Reno". The names of two warriors in the game. The former kills civilians with his sword and the other is supposed to kill the leader of "the good guys"in the game.

The European ministers of justice and internal affairs came in Dresden to an agreement yesterday.
To ban the sales of violent computergames to children. Franco Frattini, European commisionar for justice and internal affairs said that there could be done more to tackle this problem. Pointing out practical mathers like, better checking procedures as for the age of the children buying these games.
The German minister of justice Zypries (SPD) announced that a summary will be posted on the website of the EU. So parrents and consumers can see what games are appropriate for children.

Frattini and the German ministers are adding this problem to their agenda after the incident in november, concerning an 18 year old student from the West-German town "Emsdetten", who injured 5 people and then commited suïcide. He was also had a predilection for/to violent videogames.

@Jabrwock.

Yes, unfortunately there was a homocide in Germany they are linking to a game again. Honesly, who on earth can think a game such as FF VII is violent? I think the EU is really going too far this time (and the media). When they continue they might decide to ban almost every single game, even a game such as WoW or Warhammer. And the problem is that Germany either already is or is going to lead the EU for 6 months. And the things they want to achieve are about gaming and they want to try to push a new constitution as fast as possible. With other words, they will probably try to do this without asking the citizens of Europe if we agree with it.

I really hate the EU and I think the Dutch government should have asked us what we wanted. It should have never gotten as fas as it is now. It should only have been a trade union and nothing more. I don't want my government to have to ban almost every game because they now even consider FF VII to be violent. It is just unbelievable how they dare to make a link between games and violence, just because someone plays games. Gaming is the prefered hobby of more and more people nowadays and it is very normal to find a videogame in almost every home.

Anyway, here is the article about FF VII on IGN:

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/755/755900p1.html

do they have something like a first amendment over there?

@Bob

That is because you are ignorant.

@ZippyDSMIee, we don't have a socialist government at this very moment. It absolutely has nothing to do with socialists. The minister we are talking about is from a "center" (centrum) party, which is not socialist. The other party that is in the government together with the CDA is right off center.

However the new government will be have a have more socialist face, since it will have one true socialist party, one Christian party and the CDA.

The gaming Dutch
sad is it not?

dumb question,do the dutch have odd flim rules/laws like every other OTT socialistic goverment?

@ The gaming Dutch

No, you're not the only one... you took the words right out of my mouth! :)

Daniel, seriously for Christ's sakes man, calm down a little bit before you make a post. Saying stuff like "BAHHHHH!!! "These european anti-gaming politicans SUCK AND ARE TURDS" isn't going to get us anywhere. It's o.k to be angry and post your feelings about the issue but do it in a more sensical manner.

ON Topic:

I'm very surprised to see something like this coming out of The Netherlands. I highly doubt this will go through there though. The Netherlands is the hub of Free Speech and Freedom of lifestyle in all of Europe. Also, i don't think the average Dutchman would go for something like this. The Dutch tend to be very liberal when it comes to civil liberties.

Here it is : http://www.ad.nl/buitenland/article997040.ece

Here is the babelfish translation, so please see through the obvious mistakes:
computer game beginning to double assassination by ARJAN PAANS BERLIN -

Tthe two gymnasiasten that Saturday night in Noord-Duitse the village Tessin have a couple stabbed, had been possibly inspired by the violent video game Final Fantasy VII. The 17 person whose birthday it is boys rang Saturday night at a house and strikes firstly the 46 person whose birthday it is occupant dead and afterwards its 41 person whose birthday it is spouse. Afterwards they tried there with the car of the couple vandoor, go whereas they took along an 15-one year old little girl as an hostage. The boys windows the tuinhek and botsten just as later a car parked on. The little girl was released unhurt. The recherche has meanwhile confiscated the computers of the boys. According to Bild the boys each other as Sephiroth and Reno, names will have addressed of krijgers from the game. The first kills onschuldige citizens with its sword, the second Reno which must kill the leader of the ` Goeden in the game. The European ministers of justice and home affairs agreed yesterday in Dresden that they will try lay sale of violent computer game to children to links. Free Frattini, euro commissioner for justice and home affairs, said after the consultation in Dresden that there more can be done tackle the problem. He aimed with that especially on practical matter, such as better check of the age of children who want buy the game. The German minister of justice Zypries (SPD) kondigde an overview of all legislation which exists on this moment at national level soon on a Internet site of the EU will appear to that, so that consumers and parents can examine which game for children arranged to be. Frattini and the German ministers put the problem on the agenda after the incident in November, where a 18 person whose birthday it is schoolboy from the West-German Emsdetten on its school five wounded people and afterwards suicide committed. Also he had a craze for violent video game.

I do wonder if Hirsch Ballin can pull this off. It all depends if he will still be the minister of Justice when the new government is installed. And the new government should be ready any day now. His party will still be in though. But who knows if he will still get the same department. Hirsch Ballin shows again how out of touch the CDA (his party) truly is.

Who wants to bet they'll ban any game with so much as a drop of blood in it?

*sigh* Hooray for reactionary, out-of-touch politicians.

A ban on the more violent video games sounds a good idea to us as we just can not see any benefits of these sort of games.