MUNICH, GERMANY — Bavarian Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann has ratcheted up his battle against the sale of violent videogames by comparing the games to child pornography.“In regards to their harmful effects, [violent video games] are on the same level as child pornography and illegal drugs, the ban on which rightly is unquestioned,” he noted late last week in a press release.
Herrmann released his statement to coincide with the first German Videogame Awards ceremony. The announcement of award winners occurred as part of a videogame conference in Munich.
Herrmann’s remarks took aim at a March 11 shooting in Winneden, Germany, that horrified the nation. Tim Kretschmer, 17, killed 15 people at his school before hijacking a car and ordering the driver to “find another school.” Kretschmer reportedly told the driver killing “was fun.” He eventually shot himself to death, as well.
After the rampage, German police union chief Heini Schmitt called for a nationwide ban on violent videogames.
“It is known that in every situation in which a violent rampage has occurred, the perpetrator has had a remarked addiction to so-called killer games,” he told the press. “The manner of the deed is astonishingly similar to virtual examples.”
Kretschmer reportedly was a fan of the game Counterstrike and played Far Cry 2 the day before he went berserk.
Herrmann, long an opponent of “killer games,” stated in his press release, “More and more children and young people are sinking for hours every day into this virtual world of violence. They have no time for school and training and are lost to our society. Unfortunately, many parents have no idea of what permanent damage these games do to their children. ”
The statement sparked immediate protest among gamers, game developers, trade associations and free-speech advocates. Gaming associations G.A.M.E., BIU and ESB all demanded apologies in their own formal statements.
“The comparison is completely inappropriate,” German Commissioner for New Media Thomas Jarzombek responded. “Anyone making such statements is unqualified to participate in any further debate [regarding the] protection of minors from harmful media.”
The German government currently is evaluating what, if anything, should be done to protect children from potential harmful effects of electronic media.
