Completely aside from the implications it would have on a company that created action games, I think it’s a good policy to leave behind any country that feels it necessary to impose such a ban. Honestly, that sort of censorship is an insult to the civilized world. I’m sure I could go on for pages about how it’s completely unjustified, individual rights trump etc etc, but you guys already know all that.
Crytek knows it too, and considering Crysis is one of the poster children for action games, they have stated that the ban would be an attack on their continued success as a business… so they’d just leave.
Not that they need to be in Germany to do a good job, and not that they’re so big that half of Germany will be unemployed if they do leave, but I think it’s an indicator of how serious this issue is. It’s not a thing where people can say, oh we can work around that — no, it’s hardcore censorship and it has serious implications. Crytek’s president Cevat Yerli says:
A ban on action games in Germany is concerning us because it is essentially like banning the German artists that create them.If the German creative community can’t effectively participate in one of the most important cultural mediums of our future, we will be forced to relocate to other countries.
The current political discussion will deprive German talent of its place on the global game development stage, and deprive German consumers of entertainment that is considered safe and fun around the world.
Well said. I hope the German government comes to its senses, but if it doesn’t, I think Crytek is doing the right thing.