25 years of USK: "We were, so to speak, the first Let's-Player"

Tinted blood and robots that do pushups or are struck down by killer viruses: The confrontation with the protection of minors in Germany has repeatedly taken absurd forms in video games. Meanwhile, bizarre adjustments have become rare for the German market. Industry and youth workers seem to have found a way that brings together the interests of both sides. This is also ensured by the entertainment software Selbstkontrolle (USK), which awards age ratings for games and is now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

"In the meantime, violence in games is no longer the big issue," says Marek Brunner, who has worked at USK since its founding and is now head of the test area. Luckily, we've left the 'Killerspiel' debate long behind us. "

Julia Naue / TMN

For many years USK tester: Marek Brunner

Red blood turns purple

Brunner must laugh when he remembers strange ideas with which studios wanted to avoid indexing their games in Germany.

• In "Half-Life", for example, there were scientists who were not lying dead on the floor, but sitting on the floor, shaking their heads.
• In "Tom Raider 3" opponents did not bleed red on matches, but purple.
• And in "Command & Conquer: Generals", human units were actually completely transformed into robots.

It was helpless ideas from studios who realized too late in the production that their game in Germany could get problems with the protection of minors.

"We were, so to speak, the first Let's players"

The studios are not the only ones that took a long time to understand and implement German youth protection. The USK also took a while to get their test procedures to work really well. "At the beginning, we played, commented and recorded on videotapes," says Brunner: "We were, so to speak, the first Let's players." The recordings were cut and shown to the review board.

Quickly, the first problems have shown. Examiners wanted to see certain scenes, missed positions, the testers had to go back to the cutting table. The procedure was therefore soon changed. Since then testers play live in front of the examiners. Questions can be clarified quickly, hot spots jumped directly and viewed from different sides.

Brunner says: "Sometimes we had watchers of the game companies here, who were supposed to keep an eye on the game and the testers, which was best when the custodians were handcuffed to the pre-hardware. We always had to interrupt the test when they had to go to the bathroom. "

What about a "GTA: Marzahn"?

The discussion about game releases has become more relaxed over the years - also because criteria for judging games are increasingly converging with those of films, resulting in more comparability. For this approach is also the recognition of games as a cultural asset.

What was released or even indexed earlier than 18 years of age is today often available from the age of 16. It is no longer just about violence, says Brunner, but about "how they are used and punished in the game". Also, how close to the reality of life of players the scenario moves, will be examined. "Demons on Mars as in 'Doom' are not as dangerous as a 'GTA: Marzahn' would be."

Another important criterion for the USK is the perspective. A game with a view from above gives a different impression than a game in which the camera is positioned behind the back of a figure. However, the most immediate effect is the ego perspective, which is why shooters with ego perspective most often do not get a youth release.

Ever since games have been equated with films even when using unconstitutional symbols and swastikas may be shown on a case-by-case basis, if not for glorification purposes, most players have come to terms with USK decisions.

However, the next discussions about the protection of minors are already emerging. "Nowadays, parents want to know more about how they can technically control in-app purchases, what lootboxes are, or how to protect children in chat and multiplayer games," says Marek Brunner.

This is not yet reflected in the age plate, Brunner knows. "First of all, the Gambling Commission has to get there and decide whether, for example, lootboxes are gambling or not." Only then could the USK develop criteria. "Nevertheless, we naturally respond to this and offer advice for parents - and also for children," says Brunner. "They should understand in their language where hazards are and how they can best respond."

The best protection of minors is, according to Brunner, "when parents play together with the children and discuss the possible problems."