Greece bans video/arcade games? Update: Court overturns arrests

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BrunoPuntzJones

BrunoPuntzJones

Lifer
Feb 24, 2001
14,513
4
81
The origonators of democracy too eh?

Apparently the video gambling machines were such a large problem that the government has outlawed all gaming machines that run on electricity. Can't even play video/computer games in your own home. Gov is looking at banning Internet Cafes since games are still accessable.

This is old news too (articles date from April) but I had never seen it

Linky

Linky2

http://www.gameland.gr/

This was posted by Jomakazol on another forum, a Greek citizen:

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...



(This text is taken by www.gameland.gr and left as is, because it completely expresses our opinion in this situation. Please take some time and sign the petition on www.netcafe.gr . We are sorry that the site is in greek so u might need a translator. An english version is on its way. )

Thank you ppl for supporting our fight against some morons who happen to govern our country.
Click to expand...

And a second post:
It sounds unbelievable but it's all true.....

Yesterday cops broke in a netcafe and arrested 5 ppl....
You know why ? THEY PLAYED COUNTERSTRIKE!!!!!

And the pcs got a nice "Police Do not Cross" Line and today they where confiscated.

We fkin own I hope we never had the Olympics in 2004....
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No links or anything on that story...

Anyone know anymore about it? Or did this guy just misunderstand the law?
 
A

Anghang

Platinum Member
Apr 30, 2001
2,853
0
71
i almost went to Athens to work for the next Olympics....kinda sorry that it didn't work out, but now i have a reason to be glad it didn't...even if its a small one :D
 
yllus

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
I refuse to believe any even remotely modernized country would be stupid enough to enact an unenforceable law, like the one prohibiting people from playing video games in their own homes. Promoting unenforceable laws = promoting lawlessness in general. Don't put too much stock in websites with only 100k hits.
 
F

Farfrael

Senior member
Mar 6, 2002
312
0
0
i'd say complete BS until you can show me anything even remotly OFFICIAL looking
besides that "info" as already been posted in a thread a few days ago
 
J

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
81
To fix the problem, why can't internet cafes just greece the local politicians? :)

Seriously this is serious. Why are they interfering with private decisions (gaming, gambling) of private citizens? Is it simply because the Greecian :) government can't tax electronic gambling? That's why they categorically banned all computer gaming, public and private? Totally ridiculous!

Maybe they should go back to a Monarchy because they're really giving democracy a bad name.
 
M

Moonbender

Golden Member
Oct 19, 2000
1,046
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Originally posted by: yllus
I refuse to believe any even remotely modernized country would be stupid enough to enact an unenforceable law, like the one prohibiting people from playing video games in their own homes. Promoting unenforceable laws = promoting lawlessness in general. Don't put too much stock in websites with only 100k hits.
Click to expand...

Pardon, but this is the Register we're talking about! Sure, there were stories which turned out to be false, but that happens to every magazine, and I'd consider the Register as good a source as any of the major news sites. Also note that the Register explicitly refers to a Greek reader emailing them the story, which serves as a warning to take the story with a grain of salt.

I don't really believe it either, but that's not because I distrust all of the Reg's stories.
 
yllus

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
Originally posted by: Moonbender
Pardon, but this is the Register we're talking about! Sure, there were stories which turned out to be false, but that happens to every magazine, and I'd consider the Register as good a source as any of the major news sites.
Click to expand...
I put The Register on the same level of believability with The Drudge Report and most other Internet-only news websites. That totally aside: take a look not at where this news is printed, but where it is not. CNN, MSNBC, the BBC, Reuters...nobody else is talking about this other than The Reg. That screams BS in my mind.
 
Demon-Xanth

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
81
Originally posted by: chrisisbored

Actually... I hope he does... i'd like to see the outlash.

:D
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I'd be creating some violence in the media myself and excersizing a few constitutional rights.

 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
you are idiots to imply that Bush would even consider something like this. Your boy Clinton took many more steps against the movie industry and game industry than Bush has (which btw is 0). Also, if I recall, it was another fellow Democrat, the wife of Algore, that started the whole PMRC. Or maybe you guys are too young to remember. Get your heads out of your ass and look at the big picture. Games are the furthest thing from Bush's mind right now (<-setting myself up on this statement).
 
J

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
81
Games are the furthest thing from Bush's mind right now
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Bush doesn't need violent virtual games since he commands an actual military. After a bit more PR work (and after the Nov. elections) he'll begin to play his latest favorite game called "Bush II: Attack Iraq!".
 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: JellyBaby
Games are the furthest thing from Bush's mind right now
Click to expand...
Bush doesn't need violent virtual games since he commands an actual military. After a bit more PR work (and after the Nov. elections) he'll begin to play his latest favorite game called "Bush II: Attack Iraq!".
Click to expand...

So I guess you believe Iraq's PR work, over our own?

 
S

syzygy

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2001
3,038
0
76
the cnet story is the best read found so far. the majors should be picking this up in the coming days and their exposure should bring
more say on the issue.

this isn't fantasy, people. many private citizens have been arrested for playing video games. the cnet article states there will be a test
case brought before the courts next week.

from cnet article . . .

The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country, including . . . Game Boy-style portable consoles
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The law applies equally to visitors from abroad: "If you know these things are banned, you should not bring them in," said a commercial attach&eacute; at the Greek Embassy in London
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damn. saying this is a democracy doesn't begin to scratch the ridiculousness. the government is socialist. they tax everything to
death. they, in fact, have had some of the wackiest leftist governments of any country over the past 25 years, not to mention
a military coup that put a colonel's junta in control of government in the early 1970s.

and when you think of modern greece, please don't compare them to their ancient forefathers. other than for purposes of sheer nationalist propaganda, there is little in the political character of the modern people to compare with the ancients. a infintely better point of reference would be to start with the byzantines, who swept away all things pagan and ancient that they could not appropriate
into their new faith.
 
E

element

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,635
0
0
So what?

There are laws that say you can't bufu in some states here in the USA too. Also laws against lesbos/gays in some states. No one cares.
 
J

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
81
So I guess you believe Iraq's PR work, over our own?
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It's not that I take Iraq's word at face value. Our foreign policy is random and unfair and it's the root cause of our terrorist problems.

I still generally trust our federal government but not nearly as much as I did 10 years ago during the Gulf War, which I supported btw. Today there isn't enough evidence to make me believe Iraq = Al Queda, that Iraq is a direct, fatal threat to anyone.
 
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