The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system just isn't enough for some Europeans, including politicians in Switzerland who would like to see violent games such as "Manhunt 2" and "Mortal Kombat" left out of games shops altogether. An initial proposal by Swiss Christian Democratic Party member Norbert Hochreutener called for outlawing the sale of PEGI 16 or 18-rated games to minors, and a follow-up motion backed by Social Democrat Evi Allemann took that decree a step further by calling for a broader ban of violent and adult-themed video games.
Allemann would like to specifically target games that enable players to commit "cruel acts of violence," according to some translation work by GamePolitics.com, who noticed an interview with Allemann over at 20 Minuten Online. An online petition has already attracted opponents of the motions, but Allemann compared the ban to Germany's current system, stressing that it would be enforced on a game-by-game basis, probably affecting a dozen or so titles each year.
The petition currently has just over 3,600 signatures. I don't know how close that puts it toward having an impact, but the law has not yet been enacted. As someone who is completely unfamiliar with the Swiss legislative process, I cannot tell you where that leaves things, but if the rules go into the books, it will be interesting to see which games get hit with the ban hammer.
Do you think some violent games should be outlawed entirely? What should Switzerland do with their proposed law? Share your opinions in the comment section below.