So you thought Australia were oppressive when it came to vidya violence?
 

In a move that will probably have repercussions for nobody except possibly Germany, Switzerland have moved to put in place legislation that makes the PEGI system mandatory and at the same time bans the sale of anything rated 16+ or 18+. Of course it's not actually law yet but in the country where straying a couple of miles an hour over the hilariously slow speed limit can net you a driving ban and gun ownership is mandatory, the combination of nanny state and easy access to the tools needed for a US-style kid-slaying rampage suggest it'll get passed.

So if anyone here lives in Switzerland, they'd best stock up on vidya nasties now...

What we have here, as I see it, is a failure of logic. How else do you on the one hand recognize that there are games suitable for a mature audience, then on the other hand tell said audience 'no, you can't buy these'? I imagine that the very premise would come across as insulting to most adults...

Not really a lack of logic, as such. Think of it more as "here's the rating system we're going to use to enforce this ban."

Seems to me it must stem from the complete unwillingness to believe that video games could ever be intended for anyone but children. I remember seeing idiots on the news who were insisting Mass Effect needed an AO rating because "Grown ups won't be playing game, let's stop kidding ourselves!".

Yes, thank you; that's it exactly. Some folks' ability to ignore the actual composition of the 'gamer demographic' is quite astounding, no?

YouTube Video

I fucking hate Titchmarsh. That interview was almost frighteningly biased from the start, but then that show goes out in the early afternoon so most people watching would be either retired or the very small amount of stay at home parents who'd not find anything better on than that. I'm surprised by Kelvin Mackenzie's stance though, he's normally first onboard for a bit of villification.

It's like Daily Mail - The Show.