this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2024
142 points (99.3% liked)

PC Gaming

8520 readers
655 users here now

For PC gaming news and discussion. PCGamingWiki

Rules:

  1. Be Respectful.
  2. No Spam or Porn.
  3. No Advertising.
  4. No Memes.
  5. No Tech Support.
  6. No questions about buying/building computers.
  7. No game suggestions, friend requests, surveys, or begging.
  8. No Let's Plays, streams, highlight reels/montages, random videos or shorts.
  9. No off-topic posts/comments.
  10. Use the original source, no clickbait titles, no duplicates. (Submissions should be from the original source if possible, unless from paywalled or non-english sources. If the title is clickbait or lacks context you may lightly edit the title.)

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
142
Steam will no longer sell games that do not have an age rating in Germany due to regulations (www.gamereactor.eu)
submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
26 comments fedilink hide all child comments
all 27 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

It is important to note that the official gobernment rating system, USK, is not mandatory for Steam. Steam's own rating system, which is easier to access, is enough, but Valve warns that filling out the questionnaire doesn't guarantee the game will remain available in Germany: " There are certain kinds of content that are not allowed for sale to customers in Germany."

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The should just default to 18+ if they don't have a rating instead of taking them off the market.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Legally, they probably can't.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I think you're true for Germany.

The first part of the law is pretty clear and seems to support my idea.

(3) Bildträger, die nicht oder mit "Keine Jugendfreigabe" nach § 14 Abs. 2 von der obersten Landesbehörde oder einer Organisation der freiwilligen Selbstkontrolle im Rahmen des Verfahrens nach § 14 Abs. 6 oder nach § 14 Abs. 7 vom Anbieter gekennzeichnet sind, dürfen

einem Kind oder einer jugendlichen Person nicht angeboten, überlassen oder sonst zugänglich gemacht werden,

It says that you're not allowed to show or sell the material to children if it doesn't have a label.

The 2nd part is worded more difficult

nicht im Einzelhandel außerhalb von Geschäftsräumen, in Kiosken oder anderen Verkaufsstellen, die Kunden nicht zu betreten pflegen, oder im Versandhandel angeboten oder überlassen werden.

It says it isn't allowed to sell them outside of stores like corner shops, mail orders and otherwise POS that people don't enter. This might include Steam online services, but it just says "enter" and not "physically enter" which might give leeway that an account with password might technically fulfil that requirement, but then you would be fighting before a judge about the definition of entering a store.

It's complicated as usual and I can see why Steam doesn't want to rock the boat and end up having to require passports for signing up, rather sooner than later.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Sucks to suck Germany. Sail the seas to avoid those nannies who bend the law so they can charge you to judge the art before you get to enjoy it. They want your kids to be sheltered from the reality of things like kissing boys and BAD words!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

Fucking assholes at it again ruining fun because "CHILDREN CHILDREN" while they actually just want to opress.

Its gladly not that hard to get a rating, the agency just gives you a form you need to fill, hope everyone does that.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have questions about how an age rating system would even necessarily be enforced even with rated games with a non-family account. It's not like steam knows the difference between a teenager and an adult who makes any account. You can literally just buy steam gift cards and pay for games without even needing a credit card or PayPal account.

The age rating doesn't do anything but assuage a groups fears and make the legislators look like they've achieved something for the public.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Germany for example has an ID with digital functions that are able to transmit if the holder of the ID is an adult or not completely anonymously but Steam refuses to implement a proper age verification system.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

Good to know that at least in Germany there's something.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What is it with Germany and Australia always being so anal about video games?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago

Australia had a bit of an old fart classification board. It's gotten a lot better in recent years, especially after the R18 rating was introduced. It was pretty dumb for a while though I agree.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

There was a lot of panic about "killer games" in the 90s-00s. Politicians and parents blamed video games for school shootings. Nowadays nobody cares about the topic at all, but the strict rules remain. Steam just kind of ignored the local laws so far, but now decided to actually adhere to them.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

What the fuck is wrong with krauts?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

So I will have to buy the games on GreenManGaming etc. Oh no.

Anyways...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That depends... many games blocked in Germany on Steam also can't be activated in Germany.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Really? Have never encountered that. But even if, that's what vpns are for. And since steam isn't losing any money that way they probably don't care about it either.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Damn, this might make some smaller very niche games unavailable here in germany. There are some games that already are (Fear & Hunger for example).

Article does mention that it's just a little steam questionaire, but if germany doesn't like it, it won't be available anyway (would alternatively require an USK rating I think, which to my knowledge is much harder to get, and even then it might not be guaranteed).

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago

Yeah, I'd prefer, if the law said that it needs to be sold only to adults. Making it completely unavailable, because no one has decided at what age kids can play it, is really non-sensical.