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'Doom' ban lifted in Germany

Sean Ridgeley - Thursday, September 1, 2011 8:55am (PST) Like (1) +my favourites (1)

Doom, Doom II can now be bought legally

German, and still waiting to buy your copy of Doom and Doom II? The country's ban on id software's infamous shooters was lifted yesterday following a meeting earlier in the month amongst the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (Bundesprufstelle). In their heyday, the games were available at adult-only stores and nowhere else.

German is notoriously strict about violent video games. The decision comes as Bundesprufstelle has relaxed some, agreeing the games are now of little interest to children and are now instead "mainly of historical interest" -- that and it's now been far exceeded by more realistically violent titles. Some members did still want to keep the ban intact, but were outvoted.

The American version of Doom II is still banned however, as it includes two Wolfenstein 3D levels which employs Nazi symbols, swastikas being among them.

Source: BBC News

Sections: Console Games, PC Games

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0 thumbs! ^

Supernova1332 Sep 1, 11

This was revisited? You're kidding me? They didn't have matters more pressing than games from '93 and '94. Granted it's nice they lifted it but this was a waste of time on their part.

1 thumbs! ^

Invidia Sep 1, 11

quote Supernova1332
This was revisited? You're kidding me? They didn't have matters more pressing than games from '93 and '94. Granted it's nice they lifted it but this was a waste of time on their part.

Well it seems the whole point of their organization is to regulate the amount of violence German children are exposed to through media. There's only a finite amount of games/movies/television programs to sift through with any meaningful amount of graphic violence, I suppose. They have to clock in hours some how.

1 thumbs! ^

S-I-E Sep 1, 11

the US version of doom 2 is still banned in germany for wolfenstein 3D levels? i eh, understand it's an old wound in history of which some people would prefer not to be reminded of but i actualy think it's good that a historical piece like wolf_3D was allowed in germany. i know everybody regrets WW2 but the sooner we can get this over with the better.

3 thumbs! ^

THM Sep 1, 11

Ban Doom???

What the F$## is wrong with the German government?

1 thumbs! ^

S-I-E Sep 2, 11

quote THM
Ban Doom???

What the F$## is wrong with the German government?

it's nothing personal. it's just those two wolfenstein levels. the whole nazi thing is kind of a touchy subject in germany. it's totaly understandable but when it comes to letting it go and dealing with it i sometimes get the feeling that the german goverment has fallen a little behind compared to their citizens.