Crytek Threatens to Leave Germany Again

If the German government continues to seek a ban on violent games, Crysis developer Crytek will take its ball and go home, says CEO Cevat Yerli.

Back in March, a troubled German youth named Tim Kretschmer killed 15 people before turning the gun on himself in the town of Winnenden. The incident was predictably linked to violent games, and while the German government initially tried to go after paintball, it soon turned its sights on a more familiar target, seeking a wholesale ban on violent games.

Naturally, Frankfurt-based Crytek – makers of violent (and leafy) FPS games Crysis and Far Cry – wasn’t happy, with CEO Cevat Yerli bluntly stating that their contingency plan would be to leave Germany outright. The company has branch offices in England, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ukraine, any of which could become its new headquarters.

In a recent interview with PCGames.de, Yerli reiterated the claim. “A ban on action games in Germany is concerning us because it is essentially like banning the German artists that create them,” said Yerli.

“If the German creative community can’t effectively participate in one of the most important cultural mediums of our future, we will be forced to relocate to other countries … The current political discussion will deprive German talent of its place on the global game development stage, and deprive German consumers of entertainment that is considered safe and fun around the world.”

All may not be lost for our proud German readers, though – the government’s efforts to ban videogames may have been derailed by a petition with over 50,000 signatures.

(Via Edge Online)