Crytek waves goodbye to Germany?

Mental_Hernia

http://kotaku.com/5330374/crytek-threatens-to-leave-germany

In short, German interior ministers are drafting on a proposal banning the production and distribution (and indirectly the availability to play) "violent games".

Crytek is the largest gaming studio in Germany, and their best selling (rightfully so) games obviously qualify as "violent". They may have to relocate if the legislation passes. UK? US?

Any thoughts?

IEatApples

I doubt it will go a head, surely Germany wouldn't want to take a hit like that on its economy, especially at the moment.

e-freak

They said it 3 years back as well when it was in the political discussion and they say it now again just to see that nothing will happen as soon as the election is over.

[Deleted User]

Thank god those violent games won't corrupt those infamously malleable German youth; anyway crytek already has a london branch iirc so they'll probably just move there if needed

glynnsmith

Kaskad wrote: »

Thank god those violent games won't corrupt those infamously malleable German youth; anyway crytek already has a london branch iirc so they'll probably just move there if needed

I *think* their UK office is in Nottingham, which is an RnD house.

Emphasis on the think

*EDIT* Deffo in Notts. They do the HR stuff.

Justin Meisse

when people get upset at their government and threaten to leave the country they get mocked.... SOUNDLY!

Steve Schulze

It sounds like they get treated like pariahs by the man in the street over there from what I've heard. Probably exagerated, though after meeting some of my German relatives, I'd suggest not by that much. I'm surprised they've put up with it as long as they have.

[Deleted User]

glynnsmith wrote: »

I *think* their UK office is in Nottingham, which is an RnD house.

Emphasis on the think

*EDIT* Deffo in Notts. They do the HR stuff.

Yeah I didn't really check at all

Ninjas

Wait-- Conservative German's are over-reacting to minor social problems, have found some group of people as their scapegoats, and they are trying to infringe on those people's basic human rights to silence them? Seems like I have heard something like this before...

I hope Crytek makes it our of there before someone in their government decides to use the final solution on them.

On the plus side, if they put all the game devs into a ghetto, I bet that would be awesome to live there.

Seriously though, I always thought it was the height of irony that German's think the way to get away from their past is to stomp out all reference to it with their jack-boots. How long will it take them to learn?

CrazyMatt

It'd be tight if they moved to someplace like New Zealand, Australia, or the west coast California in USA

But yeah, not being able to see bullet holes or ragdolls in crysis was a bit too much for me not to have some additional fun, especially in multiplayer.

Nick Carver

glynnsmith wrote: »

I *think* their UK office is in Nottingham, which is an RnD house.

Emphasis on the think

*EDIT* Deffo in Notts. They do the HR stuff.

It's not just HR/RnD in the Nottingham studio, they are developing games there too.

Andreas

Yeah...they took over from Free Radical. Really curious to see if that means TS4 will get released one day...probably not...I'd say all the licencing and that is a bit messy.

_Gr9yFox_

They have loads of unused land in Portugal that could use an AAA studio. Just sayin'.

Andreas

Thats for golf courses though.

Ben Apuna

We have enough golf courses here in Hawaii, what we need are more game development studios. Crytek should move here then they wouldn't need to travel so far for all of their tropical island reference photos

elementrix

they better move to their neighbour country, the Netherlands:D!

[HP]

_Gr9yFox_ wrote: »

They have loads of unused land in Portugal that could use an AAA studio. Just sayin'.

i vouch for that

divi

its all just election drama

Mark Dygert

If its public grandstanding it could backfire:

Thomas Jefferson wrote:

“Every generation needs a new revolution.”

Preferably through voting out douche bags who make idle threats that are nothing more than one generation failing to understand another.

Thomas Jefferson wrote:

“If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions.”

Behind the public grandstanding are people who really wish to see this pushed through. Apathy toward it, will only allow it to advance.

Thomas Jefferson wrote:

“I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.”

This is still being tested, but can never fully be put in place because some jack ass always wants to insert government where it doesn't belong.

Yes yes American revolutionary quotes bla bla bla... Human nature is human nature.

SimonT

I live in germany and yeah its hard to believe. But it's the same thing like sex in the USA: Violence? No problem! Nipples/Tits/Sex? No way!

Here the sex isn't a problem but when you shooting at human-like beings....oh oh!

Kessler

sex and violence are awesome when in entertainment!!! That being said, violence in real life sucks. When you see that mental case kid with eyes glazed over shouting kill him kill him rip is Fking head off spill out his guts MY LORD SATAN!!!(Mom comes into the living room, "Billy time for dinner") Fck you mom you Btch KILL KILL KILL. ("Now Billy I am going to give you a time out") Shut up you Dirty cow. Those are the kids that should not be playing games with violence or sex for that matter. As you can see they are chaotic evil. But everyone one else who is taught by their parents that its not OK in real life to stab your friend in the head should be able to enjoy this type of entertainment. VIDEO GAMES ARE AWESOME. I know when I first played Mortal Kombat and I saw Kano rip out a heart it blew my MIND!!!. It was the coolest thing EVER!!!! but i never wanted to do that because something inside me says that would be detremental to the health of the person. Germany! its ok to have violence.

Super

Damn, shame if it happens. We don't have enough good European game developers.

SimonT

Yeah but i think nobdy needs uber-brutal games like e.g. manhunt. But when the violence is realistic (army shooter) or funny (painkiller) or gameplay important (shoot in the gun-arm --> enemy can't shoot anymore) than it's ok for me.

Kessler

I heard Ireland offers great opportunities for tech development. But I have never been there.