Germany has introduced a regulatory change that will see its censorship laws on video games featuring Nazi symbols fall in line with other media.

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GamesIndustry.biz reports that Germany's nationl authorities will defer to the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK), allowing them to apply age ratings to titles "that depict symbols of unconstitutional organisations."Games will be submitted for evaluation to decide whether their use of Nazi symbology "serve an artistic or scientific purpose, or depict current or historical events."German law prohibits the depiction of Nazi-related symbols and content in video games, despite the laws surrounding other forms of media being less stringent.These regulations led to both Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein 2 "This new decision is an important step for games in Germany," Felix Falk, MD of the German games industry trade body, Game, told the outlet. "We have long campaigned for games to finally be permitted to play an equal role in social discourse, without exception."Computer and video games have been recognised as a cultural medium for many years now, and this latest decision consistently cements that recognition in terms of the use of unconstitutional symbols as well."We in the games industry are concerned about the tendencies we see towards racism, antisemitism and discrimination. We are strongly committed to an open, inclusive society, to the values laid out in the German constitution, and to Germany's historical responsibility."The new regulation is to come into effect immediately.

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