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“The Dead is Rising Again!” 
or 
Some Specifics of the 
German Rating System 
Markus Wiemker 
MHMK Stuttgart 
VIDEO GAMES WEEK 
markus@wiemker.org 
GAME CONNECTION EUROPE 2014 
www.wiemker.org 
29. – 31. October 2014, PARIS EXPO 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 1
Contents 
Censorship & Rating Systems 
Regulation Goals 
Video Game Censorship 
Kinds of Censorship 
Worldwide Rating Systems 
Rating in Praxis 
Violence 
Sex 
Religion 
National Sensitivities 
Outlook 
Future Trends 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 2
Censorship & Rating Systems 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 3
Regulation Goals 
For Youth Protection 
To provide information to restrict the access 
to harmful content 
For Game Designer 
To get knowledge about the relevant parts of 
the law 
To develop a feeling which norms and 
cultural values are important for game 
ratings 
Learn how to modify or cut out content to get 
a “better” rating or to avoid a selling ban 
To wage between economic & creative costs 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 4
Video Game Censorship 
Video game censorship is defined as use of state or industry power to control the 
playing, distribution, purchase, or sale of digital games based on an evaluation of 
the game's content. Digital games have been the subject of controversy and 
censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes, consumption 
of legal and illegal drugs, criminal behavior, the discrimination of groups (e.g. 
because of their religious beliefs), national sensitivities or profane language for a 
long time. These regulation systems try to protect the youth through the 
restriction of access to harmful content by the cutting or modifying of content 
and in some cases even by the banning of games (cf. Wikipedia “Video Game 
Controversy”). 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 5
Kinds of Censorship 
Different Kinds of Censorship, Regulation and Classification 
1.Pre-, post- and self-censorship 
2.Private-regulated and state-controlled 
classification agencies 
3.Rating systems that are voluntarily, mandatory or 
legally binding under certain conditions 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 6
Worldwide Rating Systems 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 7
Rating in Praxis 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 8
Violence: Dead Rising 3 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 9
Violence: Dead Rising 3 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 10
Sex: “Princess Robot Bubblegum“ 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 11
Religion: The Binding of Isaac 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 12
Religion: The Binding of Isaac 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 13
National Sensitivities: South Park 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 14
National Sensitivities: South Park 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 15
Outlook 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 16
Future Trends 
New and current challenges for game regulation/developers & 
publishers 
1. the handling of mobile, online and user generated 
content 
2. the evaluation of the potential of games to cause 
addictive play behaviour 
3. the necessity to take into account different forms of 
play, like a multitude of play and interpretation 
practices or the significance of contexts that frame 
the game play experience 
4. Monetization models in Free2Play games (e.g. item 
selling) 
5. Data protection/user rights 
27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 17

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The dead is rising again or the specifics of the german rating system markus wiemker

  • 1. “The Dead is Rising Again!” or Some Specifics of the German Rating System Markus Wiemker MHMK Stuttgart VIDEO GAMES WEEK markus@wiemker.org GAME CONNECTION EUROPE 2014 www.wiemker.org 29. – 31. October 2014, PARIS EXPO 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 1
  • 2. Contents Censorship & Rating Systems Regulation Goals Video Game Censorship Kinds of Censorship Worldwide Rating Systems Rating in Praxis Violence Sex Religion National Sensitivities Outlook Future Trends 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 2
  • 3. Censorship & Rating Systems 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 3
  • 4. Regulation Goals For Youth Protection To provide information to restrict the access to harmful content For Game Designer To get knowledge about the relevant parts of the law To develop a feeling which norms and cultural values are important for game ratings Learn how to modify or cut out content to get a “better” rating or to avoid a selling ban To wage between economic & creative costs 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 4
  • 5. Video Game Censorship Video game censorship is defined as use of state or industry power to control the playing, distribution, purchase, or sale of digital games based on an evaluation of the game's content. Digital games have been the subject of controversy and censorship, due to the depiction of graphic violence, sexual themes, consumption of legal and illegal drugs, criminal behavior, the discrimination of groups (e.g. because of their religious beliefs), national sensitivities or profane language for a long time. These regulation systems try to protect the youth through the restriction of access to harmful content by the cutting or modifying of content and in some cases even by the banning of games (cf. Wikipedia “Video Game Controversy”). 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 5
  • 6. Kinds of Censorship Different Kinds of Censorship, Regulation and Classification 1.Pre-, post- and self-censorship 2.Private-regulated and state-controlled classification agencies 3.Rating systems that are voluntarily, mandatory or legally binding under certain conditions 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 6
  • 7. Worldwide Rating Systems 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 7
  • 8. Rating in Praxis 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 8
  • 9. Violence: Dead Rising 3 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 9
  • 10. Violence: Dead Rising 3 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 10
  • 11. Sex: “Princess Robot Bubblegum“ 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 11
  • 12. Religion: The Binding of Isaac 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 12
  • 13. Religion: The Binding of Isaac 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 13
  • 14. National Sensitivities: South Park 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 14
  • 15. National Sensitivities: South Park 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 15
  • 16. Outlook 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 16
  • 17. Future Trends New and current challenges for game regulation/developers & publishers 1. the handling of mobile, online and user generated content 2. the evaluation of the potential of games to cause addictive play behaviour 3. the necessity to take into account different forms of play, like a multitude of play and interpretation practices or the significance of contexts that frame the game play experience 4. Monetization models in Free2Play games (e.g. item selling) 5. Data protection/user rights 27. Oktober 2014 Censorship and Regulation in Games 17