[amoralist]

I urge you to read this first, then please join the petition. If you don't understand, I'll summarize for you at the end.

n unprejudiced point of view

As it is known, the World Wide Web is an international virtual world. Nevertheless, the place this server and site is at, is a real place with real people - in a real world. This place is Greece (most of you out there, should be aware of it after all these years). This country has been a paradise for us all arcade fans - we never have had any legal problems on playing Ms Pac-Man, Frogger, Donkey Kong or others into the Arcades (widely known as 'entertaining halls').
After all these years, there has been a TV Show that started a so-called 'War' against the owners of those 'entertaining halls' and specifically against the manufacturers of modified arcade games that -using the method of a remote control unit - they were able to be transformed and used as 'gambling machines'. So far, so good. The show 'touched' many Greek people, also as, some pretty high-standing people. So, there has been a construction of a new law of the State, for 'setting in order' this major problem for the Greek society...
Some days ago the law was accepted by the Greek Parliament and guess what... The good all method 'if your head aches, cut your head off' was adopted to solve the problem. So, according to the Greek law which you can find by clicking here, from now on, Greece forbids ALL Arcade Games, also as ALL Computer & Video games as well - yes that also includes playing a video game in your own house (!)
This site congratulates the act and wants to meet the people who constructed the specific law to congratulate them personally. With this law we are now able to face the whole World and yell: "This is the country where Democracy was invented 2500 years ago. This is the country where the Free Speech was first used to express human rights".

Unfortunately, we are the proud children of a race that is no longer with us. We have inherited only one thing from them as their descendants: Their dead mind... What a pity...

Whacker

To clarify, Greek Parliament has found the images, ideas, and messages of video games, a form of entertainment and free speech, habit forming: video games force player into addiction. They see video games as gambling. And for more clarity in the situation, there's a short article at Madman's Cafe.

Below are a list of links for you to visit.

Greek Law NR 3037: http://users.forthnet.gr/the/geoanas/law.pdf

English Translation: http://www.gameland.gr/lawenglish.htm

Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/comp5932/petition.html

Madman's Cafe: http://www.mmcafe.com

Original Source: http://www.gameland.gr/

Remember: always keep your mind open.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: amoralist on 2002-08-31 09:42 ]</font>

[Dangerous55]

Wow that is stupid, typical though. Oh well, people will still play games in Greece.

[ABDUR101]

I don't know how good the police forces are and so on in regards of taking things through to the end(making sure people aren't playing games, etc), but if playing a game in your house means a hefty fine or jail time(much like smoking weed and doing cocaine is illegal here in the US), do you really think the majority of people are going to risk it?

I'm not sure, I've never been to Greece nor do I know the extent of what those in power will goto to make sure everyone follows the rules.

It's sad, but hey, places like Germany aren't allowed to have blood and gore in their games. I remember at the C&C Tiberian Sun website, they listed that the version going to Germany would have robotic infantry that instead of blood marks from being run over, there would be oil instead. So the game had to go through a revamp before it was released.

Even games in the US, I don't think signs like swastikas are even allowed in them here. Maken X, the japanese version has swastikas, but the US release had the art tiles changed.

If there's a democracy, it's up to the people to stand up and protest. You think our fore-fathers got anywhere by setting on their ass and bitching about it? No, they went out and protested in the streets when a law was passed that they did'nt agree with. That's pretty much what you have to do, stop working, lament in the streets and hope the riot police don't use tear gas x_x

Oh well, thats just how it goes. But the gamer population has increased dramatically over the years, I don't think the government here in the US could pass such a law, thats like asking for anarchy o_0

Good luck to those in Greece though, I hope they fight...*annoying anarchy cliche coming up* for their right =o

[Sojo]

greece also did that daft thing with the tourists who photographed military planes.

Never mind the fact that those planes were in Janes Encyclopedia of Aviation for everyone in the world to see for just £15 from Bargain Books....

I think that Greece is just trying to get noticed for something, in their very childish way...

Before all that, Greece was only known for Kebabs, poofs, greasy moustaches and perms...

[Nerd]

Greece is a fascist ruled territory. Whoopie!

Sux for them, i bet they have great free health care tho.

[BlackRose]

I think it'll bog down the judicial system so much that any old joe will be able to get away with murder. Dumb idea.

[RuneLateralus]

Well, unfortunatly, this is all I can come up with for them...

Sucks to be them...plan and simple. I hope things get better there. But yeah, it shows how stupid things can get...

[Kent]

So... basically, they're protecting the people from any video games that might influence people?

What about other things? Like movies or TV shows? Are they going to ban those?

Some of those are just as bad (and in some cases worse) than a lot of the video games available, so what exactly are they trying to accomplish? If they ban video games for a cause, then they'll have to ban similar things for the same reasons. That is, if they ever hope to accomplish something by doing so.

[ABDUR101]

They are just using piss-poor reasons to ban video games, if they had better reasons, it could be understandable. But alas...that's not the case.

Did they mention sporting events promoting people to gamble?

[Sojo]

hey, just realised...

Considering how Nintendo are giving piss-poor reasons as to why they're not making many violent or adult-orientated games, do you think that maybe Nintendo are run by Greeks?