Tipsheet

Switzerland Moves to Ban Violent Video Games

Now, in a break from health care, for something completely different.

While my knowledge of Switzerland's paternalistic social experiments is limited (and their video game rating system, for that matter), I think this must be the most unjust law that has hit the suspiciously-neutral country in a long time.

Just a month after the proposals were first outlined in full, the Swiss National Council has now officially passed a law that will ultimately lead to the complete ban of any violent video games in the country.

The likeliest outcome seems to be an outright ban on the production, distribution and sale of any games deemed to be unsuitable – most likely anything with either a PEGI 16 or PEGI 18 certificate.

The original motion had called for the ban on any title that “requires cruel acts of violence against humans and humanlike creatures for in-game success”.

What's a humanlike creature? Is a Super Mutant a humanlike creature? What about a pyjak?

I sense a lot of young people in Switzerland aren't ready for this change.

Via Peter Suderman