Germany bans "public display" of Counterstrike

Germany, a country whose government isn't too keen on computer games, has banned any public display of the immensely popular game "Counterstrike".

As a result, tournaments have been cancelled - including the Convention-X-Treme tournament, as well as several Friday night game events. LAN parties are no longer permitted to play the game. Of course, in private dwellings, people are still able to play for now.

The move has come as a response to a wave of school shootings that the government has blamed squarely on violent video games. In fact, ministers have proposed that the production and distribution of all violent video games should be banned.

In December 2006, Bavaria and Lower Saxony proposed legislation that would make even playing games that feature "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters" an offence punishable with fines or jail time of up to 12 months.

It remains to be seen whether the minister's requests will be granted, and that video games will be subject to further censorship. This is clearly a first step along that path.