USK

Revision as of 21:25, 6 January 2009 by gtw>Playerse7en

Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) is the software rating organisation used in Germany. The USK is often seen as quite a strict ratings board, partly due to the country's paranoia around violent video games, as such a number of video games have been banned or required the developers to cut or edit certain features.

The Grand Theft Auto series (since GTA3) has fallen victim to this, and in some of the games edits made include: the removal of blood, pedestrians no longer dropping money when killed, no headshots, some missions removed, some weapons missing or lack additional functionality. If a copy of Grand Theft Auto III not released in Germany, had the language changed by in-game options to German, these effects would take place. Similarly, a copy of GTA III released in Germany had the language selected anything other than German, the edits would dissappear.

Grand Theft Auto game ratings

While most of the GTA games have been given a rating of USK 16, they have been subject to cuts as mentioned above, despite the fact there is a higher USK 18 rating, given to games glamourising war, or containing brutal violence, lots of blood etc.

The GTA games and their ratings:

See also

External links