Germans invited to dump violent games

By Robert Purchese Published 15 October, 2009

In bins outside opera house this weekend.

Germany's movement against violent videogames has lunged forward again, as families affected by the Winnenden school shooting urge people living near Stuttgart to dump their "games that simulate the killing of humans" - "Killerspiele".

The Aktionsbündnis Amoklauf Winnenden will place a container outside the Stuttgart state opera this Saturday in the hope people will heed its call, Eurogamer Germany reports.

Those who dump their "Killerspiele" will be given a lottery ticket, and whoever wins will be given a replica shirt of the German national football team that is signed by the players. The fate of the discarded games, however, is unknown.

"Nothing will change if we don't do something," reads the Aktionsbündnis Amoklauf Winnenden slogan.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (87) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • KingOfSpain #1 2 years ago

    Urm, didn't this hapen before with books, around 60 or 70 years ago. (or was that just in The Last Crusade?) :-)

  • the_dudefather #2 2 years ago

    I'll give them a dump they won't forget

  • Freek #3 2 years ago

    Stop gaming and pick up gambling instead! Good message.....

    Nothing will change if you do ban violent games, people will always be violent to each other, and there has been random violence long before the invention of the video game.

  • Skurmedel #4 2 years ago

    I was just gonna say that King... lol. I guess there's always a rabid few that will organize stuff like this. I wonder if anyone else than their rabid friends are gonna join in though.
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 15:40

  • SAMagic #5 2 years ago

    There are plenty of comments about this at Gamepolitics already (http://ww w.gamepolitics.com/2009/10/14/g... Like I said there, this isn't the German government doing it, but it's still ridiculous though.
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 15:42

  • YenRug #6 2 years ago

    Anyone got a copy of Mein Kampf they want to get rid of...

  • Whizzo #7 2 years ago

    Wow free game lucky dip, how generous.

  • rotmm #8 2 years ago

    Yes, blame the games and ignore the fact that he was a spoilt child who could do no wrong in the eyes of the mother (the same mother who let him shoot guns in and behind the house, by the way), a mother which saw nothing to be concerned about after his visits to therapists where he spoke of his violent feelings and growing anger.

    Nope, it must all be about the games.

  • insincere_dave #9 2 years ago

    Gaming never made anyone violent. I feel like jumping on a plane and giving them a good kicking.

  • PearOfAnguish #10 2 years ago

    But doesn't Germany have some of the strictest rules on violent games (and movies?) in the world? Yet it is still blaming videogames for a school shooting?

    Maybe just crazy talk, but could it be that games have fuck all to do with loonies going on a rampage.
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 15:46

  • almighty-slayer #11 2 years ago

    I guess people were never violent towards each other until video gaming became mainstream.

    What, people have been killing each other for thousands/millions/billions of years? Nahh...
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 15:48

  • Skurmedel #12 2 years ago

    Games do make me go crazy and violent though... installing GTA 4 on my PC sure did.

  • 57th_FoX #13 2 years ago

    so i could give up Vampire Rain and possibly get something good out of it... interesting...

  • Crazyreyn #14 2 years ago

    I expect quite a few people will happily offload their 'offensive' (read: crap) games for a lottery ticket.

  • PearOfAnguish #15 2 years ago

    In other news, German readers should check eBay for some great bargains on second hand games.

  • TopKatt #16 2 years ago

    The trouble is that people always want a scapegoat for society's ills. That way they can just ban something and think they've solved the problem, much easier than actually looking at what's going wrong within society and trying to do something about that. Still, books, music and movies have all had it so I guess we should have expected games to get their turn being blamed for all the evils of the world.

  • kendoji #17 2 years ago

    Haha those silly Germans.

  • kinky_mong #18 2 years ago

    Games are clearly breeding a generation of violent killers. Best to get rid of your games so you can get a football shirt, because football doesn't have a history of unnecessary violence perpetrated by it's fans.

  • Skurmedel #19 2 years ago

    Not to mention gambling and sex TopKatt... rolling that dice makes you corrupt!

  • 57th_FoX #20 2 years ago

    because the next world war is going to be played by little kids on computers

  • JonFE #21 2 years ago

    "But doesn't Germany have some of the strictest rules on violent games (and movies?) in the world? Yet it is still blaming videogames for a school shooting?"

    If you cannot (or will not) face up to your own shortcomings and faults, you have to pass blame to anyone or anything besides yourself.

  • bad09 #22 2 years ago

    As much as I feel for these poor families, wouldn't their time be spent better on other areas. I mean one look at this guy and you know games are not the evil here you have to be a complete fool to blame games. What about:

    The legal sale of the 15???? weapons of murder death kill the guys dad owned?

    The VIDEO files on his computer of (from wiki) "sadomasochistic scenes where a man is bound and humiliated by women"?

    The clinical depression?

    The chatroom people who EGGED HIM ON?

    Nope it's Counterstrike and Far Cry, they made him do it.

    Bloody idiots...

  • RobotRocker #23 2 years ago

    The Godwin meter is off the god-damn charts.

    Hoping that EG.de goes down to the site of the "dump" and laughs at these morons.

  • Dark_Stranger #24 2 years ago

    Those Jerries, dont like pixelated gore, but love a bit of real life hardcore porn.

  • KDR_11k #25 2 years ago

    Can I get mine signed by Adolf Hitler instead?

  • Toothball #26 2 years ago

    @KingOfSpain:

    Last Crusade and the others were all documentaries, so you're good.

  • metalangel #27 2 years ago

    Ich bin ein glass coffee table!

  • Edwin #28 2 years ago

    Is it still legal to bugger animals in Germany?

  • speedjack #29 2 years ago

    I think we can all agree at this point that if we're going to point the finger anywhere its generally comes down to the parents and their inability to raise a child with any moral compass.

  • brof #30 2 years ago

    ausserdem können die sich das T-Shirt von DIESER Mannschaft irgendwo hinschieben.... die Mannschaft gehört auch entsorgt hehehe

    translation: they can trash the jersey of the german soccer team, too.
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 16:35

  • bad09 #31 2 years ago

    "Those who dump their "Killerspiele" will be given a lottery ticket, and whoever wins will be given a replica shirt of the German national football team that is signed by the players."

    Some words from wiki on the good, kind, fluffy sport they are promoting to stamp out the evil "Killerspiele". Socially acceptable violence though so it's all good....even though it's REAL violence....
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 16:41

  • Buztafen #32 2 years ago

    Personally i think Killerspiele is an awesome title for a murder mystery game!

  • The_Inquisitor #33 2 years ago

    I hope they do this in this country... I'll go down there and steal the bins.

    I learnt how to steal from playing GTA as it goes. :)

  • kingmong #34 2 years ago

    free games!!

  • altitude2k #35 2 years ago

    @ evilfoxhound I smell WWIII

    Does it smell like burning meat or like anthrax?

  • jefranklin18 #36 2 years ago

    It's depressingly amusing that "liberal" societies are invariably repressive of things they do not understand. Speak to any member of that group about censorship of the press, burning books or whatever and they will naturally be totally against it.

  • Underdoseuk #37 2 years ago

    Did it ever occur to these government officials that people like Tim Kretschmer use video games as a extension of there obsession with guns and violence. I very much doubt teenagers are happily collecting flowers when by accident they play counter strike and change into mass murderers. If governments really want to stop this get away from attacking a easy target and train teachers, social workers etc etc in spotting( if any) warning signs and behavioural patterns of the youths that pass through there careeveryday. Tighten gun laws and invest youth outreach programs These disturbing events have always been here and always will.
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/09 @ 17:06

  • Vin #38 2 years ago

    So can we expect a public lynching of Uwe Boll next, then?

  • Retroid #39 2 years ago

    Seems to be the common thing for censorious countries to want more censorship heaped on whenever there's a moral panic, rather than stopping and asking why it's still happening.

    The logic seems to be: "The censorship was created to stop this! It's still happened, so obviously it's not strict enough! MORE!"

    Here's an idea: how 'bout making sure that the people who have, shall we say, 'problems' like these gunmen tend to have, are identified and get some treatment to stop these kinds of things again. How's that?

    Or is it far easier, not to mention popular with the frightened public just to scapegoat something which most of their voters don't understand anyway?

  • Markusdragon #40 2 years ago

    In bins outside an OPERA house?

    Because it's not like there's murder and killing and revenge and cruelty in opera, or anything....

  • DrStrangelove #41 2 years ago

    "But doesn't Germany have some of the strictest rules on violent games (and movies?) in the world? Yet it is still blaming videogames for a school shooting?"

    Yes we have,and obviously it's completely ineffective. Apparently nobody told them about the internet, Anyone who wants an uncut game easily gets it. But rather establish rules, no matter if they make no sense at all, than doing nothing. That seems to be the intention of these people too, just do anything for God's sake.

    And I wonder how they expect people to throw away downloadable games like Counterstrike.

  • frenchlies #42 2 years ago

    The guy was a lonely outcast, a miserable failure in school and a gun enthusiast. Maybe video games exacerbated those traits in him but what pushed him over the edge wasn't CS, it was a life of being treated like a shit nobody.

  • retr0gamer #43 2 years ago

    Anyone near stuttgart will know there's a nice bin to raid with loads of games in it to flog on ebay.

  • Skurmedel #44 2 years ago

    Markus: All stage arts are void of violence, especially Macbeth.

  • olver #45 2 years ago

    If this happened in any other country, would there be so many people bringing up the past? If for example, ooh, say, Australia were particularly censor-happy in the gaming sector, would we be talking about their violent and horrible history, much more recent and arguably much more relevant than Germany's? Oh wait! They are, and we don't, because it's retarded!

    A small group of people looking for scapegoats for a tragic event, and then exercising their right to free speech in arguably one of the most permissive countries in Europe ≠ Nazis.

    Comrade Bozzey, you're a fucking idiot, welcome to the ignore list.

  • President_Weasel #46 2 years ago

    "According to a psychiatric report prepared for the prosecutor's office, Kretschmer met five times with a therapist and talked about his growing anger and violent urges; the therapist then informed Kretschmer's parents.[37]"

    This disturbed teenager took an automatic handgun from his parents' bedroom and shot up a school.

    He was also an avid table tennis player.

    Do we

    a) ban violent games becuase clearly games caused this terrible shooting
    b) ban table tennis, because clearly there is a correlation. He played a lot of table tennis, and he shot people in a school. therefore they are linked.
    c) make it harder for disturbed teenagers to get their hands on guns.

    I'm for b, myself.

  • UncleLou #47 2 years ago

    Total overreaction with lots of Nazi comparisons on a British site to what is a gesture initiated by families directly affected by a terrible tragedy? Colour me surprised.

  • Ryze #48 2 years ago

    If I was in the area I'd head down there to grab some free games!

  • mega7ech #49 2 years ago

    I have a friend who's german, he's a nice lad really. His family often send over these well tasty german sausages.


    Also, his mum's got big tits!

  • hannes #50 2 years ago

    Here's an idea to all you that live in the area. Dump the boxes without the games. Just for the fun of it

  • organica #51 2 years ago

    I love how people who I'm guessing weren't born for a good 30/40 years after World War II still make the Germans/Nazis comparison in a non-ironic fashion. Don't get me wrong, Nazi banter is top class but come on guys. I'm guessing you'll find more Neo-Nazis in Britain than you would in Germany nowadays. Let it go, yeah?

    Or at least throw in a Hasselhoff reference.

  • SleepyMagpie #52 2 years ago

    Always reaching for solutions on the superficial level, the surface.

    Gaming, violent or otherwise, does not kill people, or make people kill people. Period.

  • Magellum #53 2 years ago

    Oh yeah- get rid of these games. Why hasn't that been thought of before? All of humanity's ills and turmoils right now- it must have been caused by these games. Maybe if they are banned, the country will be perfect and utopic. This plan is spectacular. It cannot possibly fail.

    Obviously more violence will persist. What will the government do next then? Your guess is as good as mine......

  • Skurmedel #54 2 years ago

    UncleLou: I agree, although I don't think the book burning comparison is in any way wrong. It's been done in other countries as well in the past. I think people burned comics in the US in the fifties, for the very same reasons "it corrupted our childs brains". I think we will all look back at this silly event when we are 40, laugh at it and go back to burning all the evil robot pets our children have.

    I'm north of you by the way, and not British :)
    Edited by 4 at 15/10/09 @ 20:36

  • ACCH #55 2 years ago

    Germany seems to have the most school shootings in Europe and the most strict censors and age restrictions. Why haven't they realized what they are doing isn't working yet?

  • Chazmeister #56 2 years ago

    I'd turn up with my own bin. "Yes thats it people, put your evil games in here."

  • Beek4257 #57 2 years ago

    So people piss on Guitar Hero because it disencourages kids to learn to play a real instrument, yet with Far Cry and guns it works in reverse? Boggles the mind ...

  • smelly #58 2 years ago

    I prefer the german way of thinking - sex is good, violence is bad.

    Much better way around than the Americun way of thinking - violence is great, nipples are the cause of all things evil.

  • BritishBlue1 #59 2 years ago

    To the racist gits bringing unnecessary analogies to WWII I say "f**k you".

    To the german video gaming industry I bitterly say "auf wiedersehen, pet. I knew you, I loved you but your people did not appreciate you".

  • Underdoseuk #60 2 years ago

    @ comrad bozzy. Please stop typing the first thing that pops into your head. The current political state of Germany is a demoracy and has nothing to do with the Nazi ragime. If you have ever been to Germany you would know any form of Nazi activity is a big no. By your reason then you are somebody who makes there major income from the slave trade while exploring the globe for new trade links to conquer and exploit!!! As for the strange comment about giving a german a gun and no good will come. German troops are in afganistain and have assisit NATO in many conflicts and even the ksk where awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (United States) for outstanding bravery. This shouldn't be the place for all this guff and history is not the fault of the presant

  • Spekingur #61 2 years ago

    This will surely out Bin Laden - he won't take lightly to his favourite Killerspiele being burnt in an unholy fire of the infidels. Or something.

  • freakzilla #62 2 years ago

    I know I'm probably the 100th person to say this, but swap gaming for gambling? Oh dear.

  • Amon_Amarth #63 2 years ago

    its nature of human race to kill each other. its survival of the fitest u just make a choice which side u are on

  • Kevf #64 2 years ago

    So people piss on Guitar Hero because it disencourages kids to learn to play a real instrument, yet with Far Cry and guns it works in reverse? Boggles the mind ...
    nice one!

  • 5h1nj1 #65 2 years ago

    Wow, that's such a cheap brainwashing.

  • sickpuppysoftware #66 2 years ago

    Oh well, looks like game sales will be up this weekend. The people most like to be upset are the ones who have never played let alone owned a video game.

  • M_of_the_sys #67 2 years ago

    @Comrade-Bozzey

    "no if you give unstable german people weaponary it often leads to violence ... look at world war II they went to town when they got a few guns.

    Firstly, I don't think Nazi Germany of the past has anything to do with this. With regards to your comments above and the other Bullshit you've spouted, have you forgotten what the British Empire did when they had superior weapons?

  • actionfitz #68 2 years ago

    "urge people living near Stuttgart to dump their "games that simulate the killing of humans" - "Killerspiele".

    Because everyone knows that if not for these killergames that germany would be a peace-loving and idylic place...
    But why stop there? why not round up the people who make / play violent games into 'camps'?
    Because for every problem there's a (final) solution...

    - too far?
    /hides.
    ---
    minus 1 and counting.
    /yawn.
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/09 @ 23:13

  • prolific8 #69 2 years ago

    @notmyrealname

    Banning guns doesn't reduce gun crime. All it does is make sure only the bad guys have the guns (and this will surprise you), bad guys don't care if they're breaking the law.

    Shootings and crimes involving guns have escalated every year in Britain since the kneejerk ban. It hasn't worked, but we're all so busy wringing our hands over a few dodgy expenses noone even cares.

  • Spekingur #70 2 years ago

    @profilic: That completely depends on the country and the cultural views. Guns have the misfortunate advantage to allow anyone to hold them (depends on the type though) and feel powerful. It's not so with knives, swords, etc. - as in, you won't feel as powerful whilst wielding those and not everyone can wield them.

    Sometimes I just wish wars were fought with waterguns and waterballoons.

  • Natversion1 #71 2 years ago

    "because the next world war is going to be played by little kids on computers "

    Prepare for Spielberg's next epic war movie "t-bagging private Ryan"

  • jefranklin18 #72 2 years ago

    I am not blaming latent-Nazi feelings in Germany or anything, the fact is that each country which values freedom of choice/speech, etc tend to throw those feelings out of the window when something distorts their moral compass. Examples off the top of my head:

    - America: anything to do with graphic sex or nudity (GTA Hot Coffee)
    - UK: anything to do with religion (eg the noise around Resistance Fall of Man being set in Manchester cathedral)
    - Australia: anything to do with sex (eg the banning of GTA due to being able to kill hookers)
    - Germany: graphic portrayals of violence (I seem to recall reading somewhere blood has to be green?)

    There is always something, somewhere in an industry that rakes as much as the gaming industry that will offend someone. Personally, I find the implication that hedgehogs are materialistic enough to want to collect gold rings offensive.

  • FortysixterUK #73 2 years ago

    Germans appears good at this type of thing, I think they did it last at the Nuremburg Rally on the instructions of that short bloke with the dodgy haircut and moustache.....I think his name was Hitler.....

    Of course the yanks did it as well in the 60's...but in the deep south, bible bashing areas where they trashed all their Beatles records and memorabilia because John Lennon had said " Beatles were almost as popular as jesus...."

    Ahhhh....I love the smell of Fascism in the morning......

    Losers.

  • Kain201 #74 2 years ago

    There is a solemn vigil planed by the "Verband von Deutschlands Video- und Computerspielern" (Union of Germany's video and pc gamers) in partnership with the "Junge Piraten" (Young Pirates, the youth organisation of the german Pirate Party).

    They will also collect games, but those will be used afterward for integration instead of dumping or destroying them.

    Press release (german)

  • butler` #75 2 years ago

    hehe dem germans

    AND I WANT MY SCALPS.

  • napalm68 #76 2 years ago

    Yeah, Awesome, book burnings haven't been the same in Germany since WWII...

  • Nephirion #77 2 years ago

    Germans feel free to send me your " dumped " games my address is ...

  • Kain201 #78 2 years ago

    So, this is what I read on newssites and comments from persons that were present.

    The most newssites claim that there were around two dozen games dumped into the container, while comments from various sites stated that they saw 3-4 games inside the container. It was also stated in said comments that one of the gameboxes where taken out repeatedly to dump it again for the press.

    One of the eurogamer.de columnists was also present and wrote in the comments on eurogamer.de that he will write an article about it.

    Here is a link to a blog that is tracking the media coverage, also in german language.

    UPDATE: Container video

    ROFLMAO XD
    Edited by 2 at 17/10/09 @ 19:03

  • YourMessageHere #79 2 years ago

    @ notmyrealname

    I'm fairly sure there is a mandatory prison term for carrying a gun of about 10 years. I can't say that the extra 5 years represents a significant difference in my eyes - both approximate to one metric fucking long time.

    @ Beek2457

    I'm sick of this. Guitar Hero etc simulate a common and easily had real-world experience that does not have serious negative consequences. Games involving killing are the opposite. The only way this comment makes any sense is if you are completely unable to distinguish the real from the artificial. Not only can almost everyone do that, but they can also see the difference between the basic game experience of Guitar Hero and an FPS. In all likelihood, the people who dislike Guitar Hero and the people who dislike violent games are actually two totally different groups. I expect all the idiots manning the bins in Stuttgart would praise Guitar Hero, because it's not violent. I on the other hand dislike Guitar Hero and praise the violent games, because if you're doing it in a game you're not out there doing it in real life.

  • spiny #80 2 years ago

    They'll be sorry come the zombie apocalypse!

  • RobotRocker #81 2 years ago

    Footage of the organisers trying to make the media footage look good by handing kids the games back so they can throw them back in

    [link url=http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=LW68hN9LTGo
    ]http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=LW68hN9LTGo
    [/link]

    We have reached a new level of failure here folks. Not only that, I hope the German equivalent of the PCC tears them a new asshole for it as well since its deliberately manufacturing the story.

  • Kain201 #82 2 years ago

    And there it is, the article on eurogamer.de: http://ww w.eurogamer.de/articles/report-...

  • Wolverfrog #83 2 years ago

    They just want to play the games themselves.

  • Beek4257 #84 2 years ago

    @YourMessageHere
    The whole concept of dumping your violent games in a container to save society from gun-crime and prevent school-shootings just sounded so utterly ridiculous to me, it seemed appropriate for me respond in kind. So I know full well that my comment doesn't make sense: it wasn't supposed to.
    Edited by 1 at 18/10/09 @ 17:22

  • Nephirion #85 2 years ago

    " Europeans invited to dump on violent Germans "

  • mukki #86 2 years ago

    so and then they will burn them all...
    this sounds vaguely familiar...

  • Stroller4 #87 2 years ago

    This protest / stunt was held for the best of reasons - some kids had died and the parents don't want anyone else to go through that. Personally I don't believe that video games can be blamed but I'm sure it helps those grieving to have *something* to blame. It's much like parents in the US a few years ago blaming subliminal messages from the devil that were recorded on Ozzy Osbourne / Judas Priest albums (that had to be played backwards to hear them).
    Sadly a disturbed kid whose parents either didn't pick up on the clues / ignored them and kept a gun where he could access to it is the root cause.

    As an aside, if someone tried to take the games out of the bin, would the group running the stunt try to prevent it happening, maybe getting violent in the process??