All video games BANNED in Greece

[Lei]

The greece government have banned ALL video games....

The government of Greece is making heroic efforts to humiliate the nation in front of the entire world, by banning all electronic games. That's right; something as innocent as playing computer chess on your laptop in a hotel lobby is now a crime with penalties of up to three months in stir and a fine of 10,000 euros.

The purpose behind this charming legislation is to crack down on Internet gambling (which already was illegal) -- or, rather, to enable legislators to enact their little public dance of righteous aversion to Internet gambling.

Improved enforcement of existing law is all that was needed, but there's a problem. Unfortunately, the Greek government is "incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from illegal gambling machines," according to an older article from the English-language Kathimerini newspaper, written while the bill was under consideration.

Now it's official. The legislature has concluded that all electronic games have got to go because the bureaucrats they're maintaining on the public payroll aren't swift enough to figure out the difference between video poker and TuXkart. Perhaps enforcing literacy requirements and sobriety regulations for government workers would have been a more productive approach, but it's too late for that now.


One things for sure, I won't be taking my gameboy when I go on holiday there..xD

Anyway, what do you guys think? Good idea? Bad idea?

[Hideto]

One word... pathetic..... I can't even describe how stupid that is... I feel bad for the people of greece.... :(

[Mirae]

I'm never gonna live in Greece. :P My biggest hobby...banned?! XD
Kinda sucks they can't distinguish gambling and regular video games. :P

[Blade]

Is this a wind up?

[Tsuji]

One word: VERY STUPID.

Okay thats two words but yeah :P I'll NEVER live in Greece. NEVER. Without video games?! Hah, the day you see me there will be when hell freezes over >.>
How horrible for the people of Greece :P

[TriggerHappi:D]

Wow, how stupid is this? Why not just ban any form of technology and all enjoyment along with it? Or better yet, why not get rid of the blind legislation people? I find it pretty damn easy to tell the difference between something like pacman, and online poker. This is such crap, thank god I'm nowhere near Greece...But goddamn, if Bush gets any ideas from this garbage of a law, then I'm going down to D.C. and kickin' him square in the nuts...

[Tharrick]

if Bush gets any ideas from this garbage of a law, then I'm going down to D.C. and kickin' him square in the nuts... Lemme know when you're going down, I'll join you.

I find this hilarious personally, mostly because I'm not there.. if I was actually there, I'd be very very pissed off

Incidentally, people should realise that this law was originally passed in the year 2002 - and overturned in 2003.

After the EU intervention and debates with the Internet cafe owners, the government passed a new decision (1107414/1491/T. & E. F.), published in the Government Gazette issue 1827, on December 8, 2003. The new law clarifies some articles of 3037/2002 but it still bans video games in Internet cafes, and computer software which delete or encrypt files on hard disks of computers owned by Internet cafes.

[lukeman]

It truley i spathertic. What comes next? Banning board games because its hard to crack down on people who do divebys throwing chess pieces? Unbelievable....

[Tharrick]

Lukeman, you really should read the whole topic before posting. This law was overturned in 2003.

[lukeman]

Soz tharrick. I thought that meant they had attempted to pass the alw before but it had been overturned, and the topic was about a more recent attempt that succeeded.

[Grae]

I thought this happened now, lol.

I have an FFXI buddy who lives in Greece, haha, wooh.

[Auron-X]

Wow. Poor kids. A life without video games, that's like.... living in hell =O And this was passed in 03? Damn then this is pretty old but still lol. So like what it's been two years (or three?) without viedo games for the Greeks O.o And what's even more stupid is that the government is trying to stop Internet Gambling (eg. Online Poker or something right?) so he goes and bans all games, really stupid.
Grae: lol. Let's hope he doesn't get caught ;)

[alexanderpas]

they shouldn't be overkilling the users, just do as china... no illeagal internet poker there... only govnement approved... :D;)

[ZereoX]

Really dum totally dum the day you will see me there is when som1 will invent invisible consol lol Greek government realy bad idea.
if that happen that gonna be World war 3 that for shure

[Tharrick]

So like what it's been two years (or three?) without viedo games for the Greeks O.o

Greek government realy bad idea.

I really do wish people would read all the posts in a topic before posting themselves.

THIS LAW WAS OVERTURNED IN 2003 BY THE EU COURT

[Auron-X]

Tharrick: I DID read it, that's why I said that in the first place o_o Wait... no that doesn't make sense... Umm.... well still I read it xP. And as for Zereo, well I dunno. But so what if it's an old issue xP.

[Seraphis]

Ummm... ouch? Man thats depriving generations from a form of entertainment..

Hmm.. disruptive person has no video game in hand >.> Disruptive person decides to emulate past video game fun irl...

Oh ya... I can imagine the whole scenario now.. >,<

[Tharrick]

THIS LAW WAS OVERTURNED IN 2003 BY THE EU COURT

[Dreyga]

thats pretty lame i wonder what they would do if you were visiting there and your walking down the street playing a psp or something

[alexanderpas]

nothing, since the law was a violation of european laws, and therefor has been overturned in 2003 by the EU court.

anyway's... i'll lock this topic now...