News
Crytek threatens to move from Germany
Ed Fear Aug 22 2007, 11:53am
Proposed ban on production of violent games may force hand
In an interview with Welt Online, translated by heise.de, Crytek founder Avni Yerli has said that the company may be forced to move to another country if a proposed ban on the production of violent games is enacted in Germany.
The Council of Interior Ministers (IMK) has agreed on a ban on the production and distribution of violent games. Plans are also afoot for a ban on not only games that ‘glamorise violence’ but also those that are ‘dominated by violence’.
Should the former ban come into effect, Crytek would be forced to either leave Germany or stop producing first person shooters.
As Yerli explains, though, the company would not be prepared to move to other genres, and is already making contingency plans.
In addition to mentioning his like of Budapest, where Crytek already has an office, he also explained that the company has been approached by the governments of many other countries: "Especially England, Scotland, Austria and Singapore are very active."
Crytek’s first title, Far Cry, was initially banned in the country, forcing the company to release a toned-down version – and it’s likely that their current title, Crysis, will suffer the same fate.
