Chapter 422 You Can’t Pass This Level
After World War II, Germany was divided into three, and later into two. The Berlin Wall tore the country apart for nearly three decades. Even after the wall was torn down and the two regions were reunited, the word "Nazi" remained a red line in Germany. Local law clearly stipulates that the atrocities and dictatorship of the Nazi regime cannot be endorsed, denied, or defended in any form. This "prohibited in any form" naturally includes audiovisual products and video games.
Most countries around the world have a film and television rating agency, including Germany, called the Entertainment Software Testing Institute (USK). However, the USK is considered the strictest censorship agency in the world. Those who complain about the strict censorship of China's Ministry of Culture should visit Germany to experience what "strict" means.
In Germany, almost all games, except for family-friendly games like "Connect the Dots," "Super Mario," and "Just Dance," have been censored. This puts German game manufacturers on two "red lines" that they cannot cross.
First, there can't be any Nazi elements in the game. It doesn't matter if the Nazis in the game are the protagonists or the villains. As long as there are Nazi elements, the game will not pass the review.
Games like "Command and Conquer" and "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" have to be "harmonized" first. For example, "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" launched a "German Special Edition" in order to enter Germany. All the "Nazi" words in the game were replaced with "those in power", and the Nazi "swastika flag" was also changed to the eagle symbol.
What's the other red line? Violence, eroticism, and horror scenes are prohibited. This is common practice worldwide, but in Germany, it's a completely different story. They're incredibly sensitive, as some have summarized it: don't touch blood, grow flesh on a skull, dress warmly in cool weather, and don't talk or drink.
How strict are they here? If there's a statue of Venus in the game, they'll put a bikini on it...
In Germany, if a game is rated "18+," it essentially means it's a death sentence for most sales methods. The majority of games rated "18+" here are quite popular, and almost any game involving violence falls into this category. Whether it's a first-person shooter, action-adventure, or even an open-world game, as long as the setting involves war, conflict, or brutal combat, it will be rated "18+."
Despite Germany's booming esports industry—even the cabinet passed a resolution in 2018 designating esports as a German sport—you'll find that the versions of games they play differ significantly from the more common versions available. They're all about "harmonization, harmony, and re-harmonization." They typically play online games on servers in other European countries, not their own.
Despite the immense popularity of esports in Germany, with German esports players earning the highest prize money globally, many German politicians viewed esports as neither a legitimate profession nor competitive events. They believed the industry, with its low barriers to entry, was misleading young people. Consequently, obtaining a German visa through the athlete option was nearly impossible for foreigners. This situation remained unchanged until a year ago.
But no matter what, as long as USK exists in Germany, it will still be difficult to play games like "Battlefield 18".
While Xiao Peng was still wondering how Tom could play this game, Tom glanced at the screen and said, "Isn't it normal for me to play this? My dad brought it back for me. Oh, we're at the Magic Research Institute. Let me see... You can't pass this level!"
Xiao Peng was stunned and said unconvincedly: "Why can't I pass this level?"
"I said it can't be passed and it means it can't be passed!" Tom turned his head and said arrogantly.
"Hey, this unlucky kid." Xiao Peng hated people who only spoke half of their words.
Walter coughed twice: "Tom, go take a shower and change first. Mr. Xiao, my son is rather naughty, don't worry about it. Are we on the road now?"
"Why are we in such a hurry?" Xiao Peng waved his hand and said, "It's raining and the roads are not easy to walk on. Let's eat and drink enough and rest for a day before we continue our journey."
Diane said, "That's great! I even brought some smoked pork knuckle and white sausage that I made myself for you to try!"
The most famous German delicacies are pig's trotters and sausages, but the preparation methods vary slightly in different regions. The southern region prefers smoking and grilling, while the northern region prefers stewing.
Walter's face darkened after hearing this: "You wasted half a day there just for this?"
"So what?" Diane said, "Only something made by hand can express my gratitude."
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "You're right. I'm really looking forward to it now! Okay, let me make the arrangements. You two will stay in the bedroom, Fabian, you and Tom will stay in the children's room, and I'll stay in the cab. Once you're done, we'll have dinner together."
"How can this be possible?" Walter said anxiously: "We can just live in the cab."
There are three rooms for living in this car. One is the master bedroom with a big bed, another is a children's room with bunk beds, and there is also a small bedroom above the driver's head for the driver to live in. According to Xiao Peng's arrangement, the place with the worst conditions became Xiao Peng's.
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Walter, you guys have been running around with me. You're supposed to be high-level bodyguards, but now you're practically sailors. You don't see your families all day. We Chinese say 'a short absence is better than a new marriage.' Don't reject my kindness. This outing is my compensation to you. I'll do the same for Kasim and the others as well."
Walter wanted to explain, but Xiao Peng said, "This is the boss's order!"
Walter was speechless now, and could only nod: “Thank you, boss!”
Xiao Peng waved his hand: "Alright, let's arrange it this way. Don't disturb me while I'm playing games. I don't believe I can't pass this level!"
But little Tom said, "You just can't get through!"
"Hey!" Xiao Peng said anxiously, "I have to pass this level to show you guys! Go do your own things and don't delay me from playing games!"
It turned out that little Tom was right. After they finished washing up, changing clothes, and preparing the meal, Xiao Peng was still holding the game controller, mumbling in pain, "Why can't I pass this level? Tom, tell me, what's going on?"
Tom acted like a grown-up: "Of course I need to explain that. You forgot to take an important game item. That item is crucial in the 'Magic Research Department'!"
Xiao Peng didn't say anything after hearing what Tom said, but Fabian, who was watching him play games, suddenly asked a very strange question.
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