Nothing like those crazy foreigners to really put your own crazy peoples into perspective. This from a gentleman that works at the developers of Farcry.
When I tell people in Germany what I do for a living, they usually react with a mixture of pity and disgust, like I had admitted to them I was a male prostitute. I've learned to avoid the subject, and give a vague answer like "software developer", because this causes me less problems. The attitude has been getting worse lately.
Now that isn't too crazy. I know developers and game testers around here that get that same kind of reaction. But then we get this:
In 2004 the Bavarian authorities sent in the state troopers. Ostensibly it was as a response to a claim made by a former employee that we had illegal software installed on our machines. Their remit, however, appeared to be a lot wider. When the small tech team appeared to inspect our computers, they were accompanied by over one hundred flak-jacketed riot police, all armed with Heckler and Koch sub-machine guns.
It was a total overreaction. It was like they expected to find us hunkered down behind our desks, pulling out our shotguns and semi-automatics and shouting "you'll never take me alive, polizei!" They arrived first thing in the morning, and kicked down our doors. They even raided the nearby private residences, with one of our programmers forced to lay down naked on the floor with a gun to his head after he discovered armed police in his room after finishing his shower.
Because we weren't all at work at the same ungodly hour that most Germans start, they were forced to set up ambushes all over town. I was caught just outside the office. Others were pounced on in the park. There were reports that they'd even set up roadblocks on the exits to the town. We were all shepherded into our Mo-Cap room, and there we were forced to remain until questioned, prevented from leaving by dozens of armed guards. There must have been two guys (and girls) with submachine guns for every one of us. You can imagine we didn't feel very welcome in Bavaria after that.
Wow. What can I say to that. I have family that lives in Germany and now I wonder if they are too caught up in this craziness. Next time I see them will have to hear how video games are the root of all evil and raise killers? I mean Jack Thompson is a joke among most rational people here. The Germans don't sound like they are kidding around.
Dr. Günther Beckstein (many important Germans have doctorates; the Germans seem to have a great respect for qualifications), Interior Minister for the state of Bavaria, has drafted a new law so that those "who distribute, produce, obtain or deliver computer games that allow the player to perform violent acts against human beings in a cruel way or a way violating human dignity as primary or secondary objectives, will be punished with a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.” He's backed by Lower Saxony, our neighbours.
Now while he says later this law probably won't make it into law since it's against the EU charter and so on, it's still scary shit. We have fake laws like that over here, but they involve showing IDs to buy games, not being put in jail for making video games.
He goes on to talk about articles in magazines and newspapers there and then this:
Despite the incredulity of these articles, the lack of evidence, and the bemusement of the rest of Europe, Germans remain adamant that these games are evil. A recent survey suggested as many as 66% of Germans would support a ban on these games. On the other hand, despite the known dangers of passive smoking, the certainty of a nasty and painful death for thousands every year, the majority of Germans are opposed to the banning of smoking even in restaurants.
Good to see the media is just as messed up in other countries as it here. I mean at least all media was created equal if men weren't.
I don't really have much to say this. He covers all of it very well. As I said at the beginning, who would have know today I'd be grateful we JUST have Jack Thompson.
What Would Matt Do: Hope for the best? And wonder why Crytek stays in Germany at all.