With an apparent official crackdown against violent games underway in Germany, gamers have petitioned their government to back off.
German GamePolitics reader "Christian" explains:
In Germany citizens are able to post petitions in an official internet forum of the Bundestag. These petitions are "accepted" when 50000 German citizens electronically sign the petition. When petitions are accepted, the German government has to review, respect and discuss the petition’s postulation.
At long last a petition against videogame bans in Germany is online. One can sign the petition here. To watch the development of the petition one can look here.
German gamer Matthias Dittmayer adds:
Yesterday 300 [German gamers] had signed [the petition]. Today it’s over 9000… With more than 50000 at August the 28th our parliament have to deal with the topic. We have no public decision concerning the national level. Just a right that they have to listen to the demand.
As I post this, more than 25,000 German gamers have signed the petition.
Is it just me, or has it just cleared 65000? I’m looking at the graph and don’t know any German, so you tell me.
@Saxy
In our consitution is written that "everyone" has the right, So also aliens and minors can sign it. Here a "manual":
– http://www.destructoid.com/once-again-germany-needs-the-worlds-help-139470.phtml
But you have to sign with your real name and adress. "Fake"-entries are useless and will be erased.
The chancellor whose government established the current system died years before Pong. Please elaborate how I was supposed to vote someone out of office a decade before my parents were born. What am I supposed to do? Complain to my grandparents that they voted for Adenauer?
From what I’ve gathered, once the petition hits the 50,000 mark the government are bound by their own law to look at it. So not entirely a waste.
| XBOX LIVE GamerTag: Harry Miste | Steam ID: Harry Miste | PSN ID: HarryMiste |
Oh, hey, I’ve already posted, but I’ve gotta repost ask: Can I sign? I mean, I don’t live in Germany, but is it legal/acceptable for me to sign anyway?
I know, unoriginal, but WHAT NINE-THOUSAND!?
Over 35000 signatures have been put on the petition so far
Watching JT on GP is just like watching an episode of Jerry springer only as funny as the fights
I applaud German gamers for standing up to their government oppressive crackdown however it is largely their own fault that it has got to this point. They had thier chance to protest, to vote out their elected officials who supported this YEARS ago. They stayed silent and look what happened. Had they risen up and thrown out the oppressive tyrants in public office, it would not have gotten to this point. This is why we must find ANY kind of government regulation of the video game industry tooth and nail because it is one step closer to eroding our civil liberties.
That’s awesome news, right there. Germans are regaining their rights, one meme at a time.
"Yesterday 300 [German gamers] had signed [the petition]. Today it’s over 9000…"
Surely that’s him just taking the mickey, with a sly wink and a nudge?
Too good to be true otherwise.
Check out my blog – http://serveratcapacity.blogspot.com
Good for them. Bout time Germans stood up against fascism…
"You know what I wish? I wish all the scum of the Earth had one throat and I had my hands about it."
Wait, an online petition?? *Sighs* Way to fight the "lazy" stereotype….. Online petitions completely worthless, and are a even bigger waste when printed.
Well that pathetic that they won’t even listen to there people.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
http://www.killatia.com/Sadly, as much as I pray to the highest powers that this petition sends a message, I agree with you.
I can just visualize it being slide into a "Suggestion box" which is just a disguised paper shredder or blast furnace.
Well it might not be the most effective effort but at least it sends a clear message to every German politician who still has the opinion that games are just products designed for kids missing the fact that this kind of game is designed to be played by fully socialized adults. At least to me nearly 30.000 signatures within just 3 days (200 alone while I am typing this) is a clear message that gamers just had about enough of this bullshit.
Sadly, we don’t even petition our government to stop censoring our games. The petition is about them not doing even more censorship.
You may want to know that there was also a petition against internet censorship (of course only against child pornography…).
Over 134.000 people signed it in less than 6 weeks (the 50.000 mark was reached after about 4 days). They all demanded do delete this stuff instead of block it.
Guess what happend.
First thing: Many politicians basically said that all those people support child pornography, demand free access to it and so on.
Second thing: They completely ignored the petition (at least the 2 largest Partys, but for them it doesn’t matter what the other partys says.
And now we have a law to block child pornography via DNS manipilation. You can bypass this in just a few seconds.
Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NNG5I6DBm0
This petition will also be completely useless.
And somewhere in the world a german DBZ fan is saying "Stupid americans its over 800." which it actually true in very country but the us. This has been a usless knowleged!
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
http://www.killatia.com/Dang, someone beat me to the post!
Vegeta, what does the scouter say about their petition level?"
"It’s over 9000!"
Today it’s over 9000…
ITS OVER 9000
Sorry could not resist
Hope German gamers dont have to deal with censorship
That’s pretty cool. I wonder if something like that would work in the states?
I tend to stay away from them as I always have an urge to go to their "offended" page (for those of you who don’t know, it’s the page they tell you to go to if you are offended by their content, it’s basically nothing but truly sick images, such as self-mutilation and dead bodies (including animals).
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Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it’s over they have the same positions they started in.
So according to the Encyclopedia Dramatica, because I saw it and thought of it, I’m a "Weeaboo".
Dagnabbit!
It’s ove…..
Dagnabbit!
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000
Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Coincidence, or meme? YOU decide!
Edit – Whoops, this was supposed to be a reply Puma(?).
Saying that Jack Thompson is impotent is an insult to impotent men everywhere. They’ve got a whole assortment of drugs that can cure their condition; Jack, however…
You run out of bullets not enemies
Come on Germany! You can do it!
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Believe in something! Even if it’s wrong, believe in it! -Glenn Beck
I would not be surprised if they get the 50,000 signatures by the end of the week.
Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets, Jack Thompson can geaux chase a chupacabra.
Proud supporter of the New Orleans Saints, LSU, 1st Amendment; Real American; Hound of Justice; Even through the darkest days, this fire burns alwaysSaints(3-4), LSU(7-0)
We need that petition stuff here in Brazil…
criadordejogos.wordpress.com
wow, half way there.
Go German Gamers, we’re rooting for you.