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Wolfenstein Pulled From Sale In Germany
Publisher Activision has reportedly pulled Wolfenstein from sale in Germany after the localised version of Raven Software’s shooter was found to contain a swastika.
Nazi symbols such as swastikas are banned from appearing in games released in Germany. Previous casualties include Wolfenstein 3D, which was barred from sale in 1994 because it featured Nazi imagery.
"Although it is not a conspicuous element in the normal game... we have decided to take this game immediately from the German market," Activision said in a translated statement reported by 4players.de (via Kotaku).
Schnitterbericht has posted a number of screenshots showing the differences between the US and German versions of Wolfenstein - which is available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC - including one shot featuring a small swastika.
You can read our Wolfenstein review here.
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I think its the fantasy element, games like Medal of Honor take place in the real world, even if the battles are sometimes fictional. Wolfenstein could appear to some people, to be glorifying the Nazi regime in some way, i.e that they were so far advanced they could access hell blah blah.
Im not saying that was the developers intention, just that it can be perceived in that way by individuals.
Probably because the gratuitous slo-mo violence found in games is generally not taken as seriously as what direct connotations the swastika emblem symbolizes. Not enough time has passed in Germany, and probably never will for it to be ok to display the symbol of such atrocities in a piece of entertainment. That's why they've banned it in Germany. (Don't know about serious movies like Downfall though.) Germany even tried to ban it Europe-wide due to their distaste, but failed.
The assumption is that movies are 'serious' and games just aren't . Unfortunately, this particular assumption is true. Zombie Nazis with glowing green eyes and portals to hell!? Please, it's obvious who this is aimed at.
I don't get this. If games are OK to depict WWII games, including gratuitous slo-mo exploding Nazis (a-la Band of Brothers) then why why the big hoo-ha about a swastika?
Probably because the gratuitous slo-mo violence found in games is generally not taken as seriously as what direct connotations the swastika emblem symbolizes. Not enough time has passed in Germany, and probably never will for it to be ok to display the symbol of such atrocities in a piece of entertainment. That's why they've banned it in Germany. (Don't know about serious movies like Downfall though.) Germany even tried to ban it Europe-wide due to their distaste, but failed.
Really Europe wide? Wow, that's a bit over zealous seeing as they were the ones that committed atrocities, against Europe. It's part of their history do they think they can just sweep this shit under a rug? I think Germany is a pretty cool country these days, if not a little too stressed about certain things, a hyper-realistic game that kinda sucked depicting fruity futuristic Nazis getting pwned isn't going to spark the next wave of neo Nazi culture.
Actually no the German people didn't commit the atrocities, the Nazi's did. And don't say 'well they were German', because if you remember your history, Hitler's Nazi party came to power because after years of European sanctions, the country was impoverished as hell and desperate for someone to give them their dignity back.
The people saw that Hitler's party could get things done as far as building the roads and country's infrastructure. They flocked to the polls, and that included the Jewish community. Eventually some people could see something was up, but if any newspaper spoke out against the GNP, they got a visit from the Brownshirts and promptly beaten the shit out of. The German people, oppressed by poverty, were suddenly oppressed by the government they helped vote in.
But little did the German people know what atrocities were to happen. The Nazi emblem is a symbol for the party that exterminated 6 million men, women and kids in the concentration camps.
That is a VERY simplistic account, as I am recalling it, and you might do well to get this from a more thorough source. But the point is, is that the Nazi's did not come to represent most of the German people - of course they had their followers, but not all by a long way. So you can see why they're so dispassionate about the swastika.
It's part of all our history and I don't think in banning the swastika they're 'sweeping the shit under the rug' - it's just out of respect for soldiers on all sides who lost their lives in the war - and for the 6 million Jewish men, women and kids who were just snuffed out. Lest we forget......
Surely then, out of respect, all WWII games should be banned? Or perhaps those are OK because you're invariably playing on the Allied side?
Also, if you take film into consideration, Schindler's list, Saving Private Ryan, The Pianist and countless others are rife with Nazi imagery. None of those have been banned.
I think nothing should be swept under the rug. However, blatant trivialisations of that part of history - i.e. zombie Nazis, comedy German accents etc etc, inaccurate depictions for the sake of entertainment - should in fact be banned.
I came across this thread. It's a couple of years old, but might clear a couple of things up - but also serve to confuse as well, lol.
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-prince-and-the-swastika
It's regarding Prince Harry sporting a swastika armband at a fancy dress party, two weeks before the 60th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz. Which I think illustrates how the passage of time can dull the impact of such things on newer generations.
Also, 6th paragraph down, shows Germany's actual stance on the display of the swastika.
"The German ambassador to Britain, Thomas Matussek, helpfully pointed out that it is an error to simply say that Nazi symbols are banned in Germany: what is illegal is their public manifestation or distribution, as is the case for symbols of any anti-constitutional groups or parties. Their use in “socially acceptable” areas such as the arts and education is allowed."
In which case the use of the Nazi emblem in the Wolfenstein game should be allowed.
I personally don't have a problem with its inclusion in the game, as it's use is in some sort of historical context within the story - whereas Prince Harry's armband stunt was naiive and mocking to both victims and survivors of the Holocaust. There is a big difference.
Let also not forget the 15,000 gays, the 2-3 million Soviet POW's, 1.8-2 million Ethnic Poles, 220,000-1,500,000 Romani, 200,000-250,000 Disabled and the 5,000 Jehovah's Witnesses .
Up to 12,770,000 people died at the hands of the Nazi's in those camps.
Absolutely.