Brazil's Justice Ministry has banned six video games it considers too
violent for the public. This ruling comes on the heals of last month's
deadly shooting rampage in a movie theater by a medical student. "The games
are considered violent and [are] affecting people who play them,
particularly children," a ministry spokeswoman said. "As for DUKE NUKEM,
the ministry regulation says its virtual world may have motivated Mateus da
Costa Meira to stage the cinema shooting on November 3 in Sao Paulo." All
copies of the games DOOM, MORTAL KOMBAT, REQUIEM, BLOOD, POSTAL and DUKE
NUKEM were ordered to be removed from store shelves by police. Vendors who
refuse will be fined 20,000 reais ($11,000) per day. Police say they have
reason to believe that Meira, 24, may have copied a scene from the popular
game when he killed three people and left eight wounded in the high-class
shopping mall theatre in Brazil's largest city. Meira, who kept three
computers and piles of computer disks at his apartment, mimicked the game
step by step, including his choice of weapons and shooting position, in the
theatre attack. However, traces of cocaine in Meira's blood and past
stress-related problems are also attributed to his actions. In the past,
Brazil has banned the popular computer game ARMAGEDDON for excessive
violence. The game allows players to run up points by speeding over
innocent pedestrians. The ministry plans to rule on the fate of other
"violent" games in 4 months.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
