Apparently they found an "unconstitutional symbol" in this video game and can't currently release it in Germany and Austria. Well shit. If anyone tries out if you can access the game over a proxy let me know. Not sure if the region is locked by key or Ip address while registering the key or just your current IP address. I bought my version from GMG. Could be forever until it gets released if they have to edit out graphics. Such disappoint.

Hey now, I think your government knows what's best for you! How dare you try to make your own decisions. Sheesh.

Unlock it over a VPN, it's what I always do to get around region release dates and locally censored versions.

Well does it work even after I've registered my key? I just realized that I might just have bought the UK version from GMG which will unlock on Friday. So maybe it'll unlock on Friday anyway!

It's a good thing. I saw a swastika once, and it almost turned me into a Nazi.

It's Wolfenstein all over again. At least they realised it before the game made it to the shelves. They had to call back every copy of the first Wolfenstein batch because they missed one tiny little swastika.

The geo IP detection in the steam client will restrict you to the launch/unlock date for your region regardless of what license you have.

That's not the concern. Germany's more concerned about people using the swastika to make light of the Holocaust or something like that. I don't remember the specifics, but I'm pretty sure it isn't "we're worried that you're turning people into Nazis".

Okay, thanks for the replies guys. What I figured out through the steam forums is, that if you can play it or not depends on the license you register. Only the German version is supposed to be IP locked. I bought my game from GMG but it registered in my steam acc as the following: South Park™: The Stick of Truth™ + Ultimate Fellowship Pack (Preorder DE). So either GMG sent me a German key depending on my IP address when I bought it or Steam assigned it by IP address when I registered the game. Anyway, I can't play it on steam right now. Well, I guess I'm gonna play the game tomorrow outside of steam then ;).

@altairre: Interesting tidbit - I didn't even know that. Wolfenstein was released when I was 10 or sth.

It's Wolfenstein all over again. At least they realised it before the game made it to the shelves. They had to call back every copy of Wolfenstein because they missed one tiny little swastika.

I doubt that you were 10 at that point. I'm talking about the 2009 reboot (was it actually a reboot?). This is why you shouldn't name two games the same way even if you only confuse about two people because who remembers the first Wolfenstein.

It's relatively simple. Nazi organisations are unconstitutional and thus it is against the law to use their signs publicly. The thing that's kind of backwards about this is that they can be used for educational material or even in movies like Inglorious Basterds. In games however they have to be removed.

@altairre: The problem is that this only counts for Video games any other media is fine in terms of these symbols, But hey we are the country that changed a main characters name because he was called Jude which means jew in german. You really have to think that the name Jude alone is offensive in our shitty country...... I think this is way more racist.

GMG always sells you the version of your country. I bought the US Version from Amazon and when I get back tomorrow I will unlock that one with a VPN. Fuck these stupid german laws.

That one sounds both weird and factually incorrect. Unfortunately, I don't really have the knowledge to debate that point (all I know is that you can use swastikas in an educational/historical context), so I'm forced to let it slide.

It is in fact absolutely correct. Inglorious Basterds is of course not the only movie that contains swastikas in the German version. Two other examples would be Hellboy and Indiana Jones. The reason for that is that movies are considered works of art and there is a paragraph that specifically excludes works of art from the ban (along with the use of the sings for education, research, science, reports and works related to history). Video games just aren't considered to fall under that paragraph.

And that's the part that brings it all together for me. I shall withd-WAIT A MINUTE. How the hell is a Tarantino film considered art? Or Hellboy, for that matter? The eff, Germany?

(Also, I'm assuming there's some fancy legal definition of art in these laws, right?)

@video_game_king: Nope, there is not. It just says "art".

@altairre:

@video_game_king: The whole thing is fairly loose and inconsistent.

For example: In one of the original filmposters for Inglorious Basterds there was a swastika shown in the first "o" of "Inglorious". They decided to replace that swastika with a bullethole for the German poster, not because they had to but as a precaution. I guess a swastika on a poster seemed too risky even if that poster was an advert for a movie that contains uncensored swastikas. What they didn't change however was a second poster that showed a flag with a swastika on it and a knife that was stabbed through the middle of said flag and symbol. Why didn't they change that? I don't fucking know. Maybe because of the knife. It's kind of dumb.

@video_game_king: Swastikas are basically allowed in art. And Movies are art same with books or paintings. Video games however are not. which really upsets me. As far as I know Swastiaks are even allowed in media like Mangas.

Are you saying manga isn't art? Are you saying that this isn't art!?

personally I say that everything that is created by someone can be art. Soif you make knifes on a very high level i would say that this is art as well.Manga are art just like video games are art.

That sounds more like craft, honestly. Yea, the two words had essentially the same meaning in medieval times, but there's been some drift since then. Maybe it's pure connotation. Hard to say.

(Also, I feel I should abuse the shit out of this post for whatever dumb thing I create in the future.)

lI think of it more like art while there is also a higher form of art which are basically classic books, paintings, sculptures etc which actually are famous and stand the test of time. But that is how I see it personally.

@altairre Well to be fair that original game was called "Wolfenstein 3D" not just "Wolfenstein" and was released in 1992 (and apparently I was 8 then). I didn't really care about that 2009 version - it's still interesting tho ;). Also you seem to know a lot about that law concerning censored symbolism & video games :). Whats up with that?

@darji That's really good to know. So I could buy a GMG game with a VPN and get the US version? I'm really sad I can't play SP on steam today but I'm surely not gonna buy it again for that.

Thanks Ubisoft! Please check for all the swastikas next time. Btw. they apparently removed 6 minutes of footage in the German version even before they gave it to the rating commitee but for THAT they couldn't check...

I still think it's really funny, that after the whole shitstorm that Ubisoft got for censoring the European and Australian versions, they actually didn't manage to censor the one thing they had to censure. Almost could be a South Park joke.

And, yes the German law and it's definition of art is ignorant, outdated and just plain stupid. But, oh well.

Jesus. Just got my boxed copy (Switzerland). The game won't activate on Steam either. Of course we had to be lumped in with Germany and Austria, as per usual. God dammit.

Fucking censorship. Retards are flippin' following the letter of the law, rather than the spirit of the law. Soup nazis! Ugh. Assholes.

@ectoplasma: I didn't play Wolfenstein (2009) either but I read about the whole recalling the game thing and since I knew that there were movies (not just educational ones) that contained swastikas even in the German version I became curious. I wanted to know how it was regulated so I looked at the relevant laws and seeing how unspecific concepts like "work of art" are defined it was interesting to look at all the weird stuff that happened because of it (like the whole movie poster thing for Inglorious Basterds).

Filmcrews also often mirror the swastikas for movie shoots in Germany (like for Operation Vaklyrie) eventhough it technically makes no difference since you can still be prosecuted for displaying a mirrored banned sign.

I'm from Barbados, and the steam page currently says "Coming Soon" instead of the release date which was supposed to be today. I hope I don't get screwed by this whole censorship thing.