gettygas
1
In Greece, playing a shoot-'em-up video game could land you in jail.
The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country,
including those that run on home computers, on Game Boy-style portable
consoles, and on mobile phones. Thousands of tourists in Greece are
unknowingly facing heavy fines or long terms in prison for owning mobile
phones or portable video games.
Greek Law Number 3037, enacted at the end of July, explicitly forbids
electronic games with "electronic mechanisms and software" from public and
private places, and people have already been fined tens of thousands of
dollars for playing or owning games.
The law applies equally to visitors from abroad: "If you know these things
are banned, you should not bring them in," said a commercial attaché at the
Greek Embassy in London, who declined to give her name.
Internet cafes will be allowed to continue to operate, providing no
games-playing takes place. If a customer is found to be running any sort of
game, including online chess, the cafe owner will be fined and the place
closed.
The Greek government introduced the law in an attempt to prevent illegal
gambling. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Greek
police will be responsible for catching offenders, who will face fines of
5,000 to 75,000 euros (about $4,980 to $74,650) and imprisonment of one to
12 months. "The blanket ban was decided in February after the government
admitted it was incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from
illegal gambling machines," the report said.
The Greek gaming community has reacted with a mixture of shock, disbelief
and anger. One Web site, w.w.gameland.gr, has started a news service about
the ban and opened a petition to protest it. In addition, it is posting
English translations of the law and messages of support from around the
world.
A test case is to come before the Greek courts next week, and the Greek
gaming community is already planning protests in the event that the
defendant is convicted.
"We are trying to organize a protest against this law," said Petros Tipis of
Thessaloniki-based gaming company Reload Entertainment, which has had to
cancel a gaming tournament that was to be held this week.
If the prosecution of the defendant next week is successful, said Tipis, the
Greek gaming industry will take the case to the European Court.
In the meantime, Tipis told ZDNet UK, a lot of people in Greece are very
worried about the new law. "They are taking it very seriously," he said. "It
even affects the games that come with Windows. This law isn't the right
one," he added. "It is unfair. It was introduced too quickly."
Reload's tournament, which was to be held Fridah, was a qualifier for the
CPL Oslo 2002 <h..p://www.cpleurope.com/> gaming tournament. "Now we are
trying not to lose the two slots we were given from CPL for the tournament,"
Tipis said. "This was the first time for a qualifier (for this tournament)
in Greece."
ZDNet UK's Rupert Goodwins and Matt Loney reported from London
<h..p://news.zdnet.co.uk/>.
woops my bad wasn't thinking thank you
VIPER_1069
The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country,
including those that run on home computers, on Game Boy-style portable
consoles, and on mobile phones. Thousands of tourists in Greece are
unknowingly facing heavy fines or long terms in prison for owning mobile
phones or portable video games.
Greek Law Number 3037, enacted at the end of July, explicitly forbids
electronic games with "electronic mechanisms and software" from public and
private places, and people have already been fined tens of thousands of
dollars for playing or owning games.
The law applies equally to visitors from abroad: "If you know these things
are banned, you should not bring them in," said a commercial attaché at the
Greek Embassy in London, who declined to give her name.
Internet cafes will be allowed to continue to operate, providing no
games-playing takes place. If a customer is found to be running any sort of
game, including online chess, the cafe owner will be fined and the place
closed.
The Greek government introduced the law in an attempt to prevent illegal
gambling. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Greek
police will be responsible for catching offenders, who will face fines of
5,000 to 75,000 euros (about $4,980 to $74,650) and imprisonment of one to
12 months. "The blanket ban was decided in February after the government
admitted it was incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from
illegal gambling machines," the report said.
The Greek gaming community has reacted with a mixture of shock, disbelief
and anger. One Web site, w.w.gameland.gr, has started a news service about
the ban and opened a petition to protest it. In addition, it is posting
English translations of the law and messages of support from around the
world.
A test case is to come before the Greek courts next week, and the Greek
gaming community is already planning protests in the event that the
defendant is convicted.
"We are trying to organize a protest against this law," said Petros Tipis of
Thessaloniki-based gaming company Reload Entertainment, which has had to
cancel a gaming tournament that was to be held this week.
If the prosecution of the defendant next week is successful, said Tipis, the
Greek gaming industry will take the case to the European Court.
In the meantime, Tipis told ZDNet UK, a lot of people in Greece are very
worried about the new law. "They are taking it very seriously," he said. "It
even affects the games that come with Windows. This law isn't the right
one," he added. "It is unfair. It was introduced too quickly."
Reload's tournament, which was to be held Fridah, was a qualifier for the
CPL Oslo 2002 <h..p://www.cpleurope.com/> gaming tournament. "Now we are
trying not to lose the two slots we were given from CPL for the tournament,"
Tipis said. "This was the first time for a qualifier (for this tournament)
in Greece."
ZDNet UK's Rupert Goodwins and Matt Loney reported from London
<h..p://news.zdnet.co.uk/>.
woops my bad wasn't thinking thank you VIPER_1069
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