OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

I Can't believe what I just read on CNET.com. Since July it is illegal to own computer games, Game Boy machines, or play games on-line in Greece. The law was passed because: 1. Greece has a problem with gambling games and 2. It is too hard for the Greek authorities to tell if a game is a gambling game. Penalties are a fine of from $5,000 to $75,000 and/or jail time of from 1 to 12 months, and you can't play games in jail. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

I can see this happening in the US in about 12 months. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

i cant. we make too much money on video games in the US.

when is the Last time you bought a greek game, or a greek computer on which to play games on? they're doing nothing but losing money anytime someone buys something besides wine, olives, and fetta.

edit: it was a JOKE! dont kill me!

[ September 04, 2002, 02:01: Message edited by: Puke ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

I haven't bought a geek game in months. I think many people believe American culture is too pervasive. So you are going to see attempts to stop it especially in countries that have a rich tradition.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Greece will soon have and internet gaming prohibition!

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Hmmmm.....

I wonder if this won't set the Greek government against the EU in some way or other? It's true that most software comes from the US, especially computer games, but there are game companies in Europe and I think they will raise a stink about all of their products being Banned indiscriminately. I wouldn't be surprised if US game companies whine to our Govt., too, but that will require going through the various International trade agencies. Greece is much more closely tied to the EU.

[ September 04, 2002, 04:49: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

I wonder how do they define "game". Any worthless software that entertaines people ?

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

better put a stop to MS Windows, the buggers are packaging every coppy with such bits of deviltry as Solitare, Hearts, Minesweeper, and Pinball!

(and watch out for those X-Games that ship with most linux distros)

and no more AIX! Whumpuss hunter is still a standard issue application, the Last time i checked! Recall all the IBM Mainframes!

in fact, you better get rid of any kind of electronic technology, since the Network is the Computer, and the Computer is the Game.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

That's just evil.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=5206

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">heh, looks like it was a mistake http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Really astonishing...

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hahahaha

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

I guess people will just have to start betting on cock fights again.....

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Hmmmm, I wonder if maybe PBW should be blocking Users loging in from Greek ISP's or something. We don't want to set off an international incident or anything. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

So, we should get someone to translate into Greek for us:

Error 491 - This server offers entertainment content, and it appears you are attempting to connect to it from Greece. The Greek government has accidentally outlawed all electronic entertainment. Please depose and humiliate your government and repeal these laws before attempting to reconnect to this server. If you are not actually connecting from Greece, or you have deposed your government and repealed your imbecilic anti-entertainment laws, please press the OMG WTF button to continue.

PvK

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

PVK,

That is the most constructive thing I've read.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

betting on cock fights again.....is a great Idea

[ September 04, 2002, 18:44: Message edited by: Shapeshifter ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

hehe pretty interesting. Although from what I read they only Banned playing games in public. And seem to have some good reasons to do so. The funny thing if what I reas is true is that there is a big internations Quake tournament comming up in which games will be player &lt;gasp? in public!

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

It's a sting! Scatter!

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

You give me any name of a game and I can show you that the root of that name came from a Greek word.. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

HOPA!

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Big Fat Greek Games

Woot!

&lt;DOH!&gt; I cannot believe I used the word Woot!..sigh....I guess words like 133t will follow soon after...

Cheers!
Trajan

[ September 05, 2002, 18:37: Message edited by: Trajan ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Being English, I should like to know what 'Woot' actually means.

Please can someone clarify

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not entirely sure but it seems to be some kind of Online first-person shooter battlecry.

I've heard ppl use w00p! before now as well, but I thikn that may have been an ironic geek-joke on woot (w00t)- since woop stands for Windows Object Oriented Programming.

Anyway, everything I ever n33ded to know about l33t I learned from Megatokyo.

--
"Junipei, gather the fallen. I will not tolerate an ending without honour." - Great Teacher Largo.

[ September 11, 2002, 09:28: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

j0.

Go to the art forums sometime...my gf Merekat hangs her hat there. ^_^

And just to be somewhat on-the-off-topic, Greece was actually one of the places I've wanted to visit for years...guess it just got knocked off MY list (most fascist states are http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ). Can you believe they actually arrested tourists with electronic games? Probably not Americans, or there would have been an even bigger stink by now.

zen

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

W00t is a exclamation of joy, as in "w00t! I just used my l33t hax0r skillz to lay some mad smack down on j00!"
I think its particularly stupid for some 12 year old who knows nothing about computers at all to claim to be a "l33t hax0r". I mean, I only build computers and write programs, but I don't play counterstrike, so I guess I am not a "l33t haxor"

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not fasciast; probably just desperate.

Sad to see that americans are now labeling any state that doesn't fit in with its views faciast. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Edit: El Scoffo, you forgot to add an extra w to the link.

[ September 11, 2002, 03:14: Message edited by: TerranC ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">indeed, since i have [wiseassery] NEVER [/wiseassery] heard any ridiculous slang come out of the UK, youre probably not used to such things.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

seriously tho, the internet has done nothing for the world, if not helped us to further bastardize lanugage.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">yeah, most Americans are royal jackasses when they travel abroad. i would imagine there is a stink most times forign authorities try to talk to one.

and i have it on good authority that the National Socialist Party didnt have ANY VIDEO GAMES AT ALL. so you're right, Greece is doing their level best here to emulate Facism.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Slow down people.

Puke, first, Greece is not a fascist state by any definition of the word. Check out CNN and you will see that it is actually mistakenly drafted legislation that will be amended.

Secondly, Greece does not have a fascist legal system. It has your typically civil law meditterannean style legal system but what it does have are some quite strict secrecy laws relating to military secrets, for example, we had a scandal over here when some UK plane-spotters got arrested for taking photos of planes on a military airbase = misguided maybe but hardly fascist

Thirdly, Greece is a great place to visit, I love the islands especially the uncommercial ones

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

I'm an agreement with the furry one. Greece is a great place and as far as I know their government/ legal system/ human rights record is as fair and unfascist as any other EU country.

It's also a damn nice country full of very nice people. Above all it's worth remembering that 3000 years ago when your ancestors were painting themselves blue and worshipping rocks (unless you are descended from mediterranean, middle-eastern or far eastern genes), the Greeks were busy inventing things like democracy, medicine, astronomy, philosophy and mathematics.

So stuff that in a pitta bread and eat it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

wow, take it easy there GT. i was just making fun of zenbudo for equating video game bans to villified political systems.

edit: and i'll be one of the first to champion Greece as one of the cultural pillars of the western world.

and whats wrong with keeping military secrets? want to try packing a camera around secret areas of a US airbase?

[ September 11, 2002, 17:40: Message edited by: Puke ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

GGGOOOOODDDDD MMOOORRRRRNNNNINNNNNGGG CAALLIIFFFOORRRNNNIIIIAAAAA

hmmmm.. ok Puke, I will let you off (this time).

You should check my eddress to see that my real name is Stavros Tiggopolous

[ September 11, 2002, 17:37: Message edited by: Growltigga ]

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

here's a news update -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2249656.stm

Looks like you will be able to glass planets from greece after all...

-Spoon

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

While living in Turkey several years ago, our family visited Athens (in 1986). Really enjoyed the visit! However, the budget for the various departments of government were being debated while we were there. Couldn't see the Acropolis because the workers were on strike. Also saw the teachers marching in protest and at least one other group. While driving through the countryside north of Athens, were delayed about 2 hours by a farmer's tractor blockade on the main highway. Couldn't get through until we got out our video camera. The protestors must have thought we were a news crew, because they smiled and let us through the crowd.

Thanks for triggering the memories.

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

lol...geez, I didn't know I'd ruffle so many feathers. Actually, I was being rather facetious (hence the http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ) when I called the country fascist. Of course it's not, especially considering its history. I guess my weird sense of humor doesn't cross the 'net well, so I apologize if I offended anyone. It just reminded me of some ridiculous laws that we have right here in the US, which are technically laws, but antiquated and not enforced.

zen

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

Beware dissing any cultures laws. Some of our own are so outdated and badly thought out it makes my head hurt.

Why can't we buy beer in Massachussetts on Sundays? Oh. Right. The Puritans and their blue laws.

Didn't they die out in the sixties?

T-

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

In Pennsylvania, Do we still have to dissasemble our cars and hide the pieces in the brush if that is what it takes to get a spooked horse to pass us on a road?

Re: OT-Game playing illegal in Greece
 

http://www.lawguru.com/weird/index.html http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif