Germany lifts 17 year ban on id Software’s classic Doom

It’s only taken 17 years but Germany has finally lifted a ban on the sale of Doom to under 17s saying that the game is no longer deemed “likely to harm youth.”

The body responsible for banning the original game, the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (Bundesprufstelle), made the decision at a recent meeting after being petitioned by the game’s makers.

Germany has some of strictest laws in Europe against the sale of violent or pornographic content and since 1994 the game was only available in adult stores, according to the BBC.

id argued that the game’s graphics were by modern standards not graphic and the Bundesprufstelle seems to have agreed, saying that most mobile phones could now create more graphic images.  The organisation went on to say that the game was now only of “historical interest” and would probably not be played by kids.

The Bundesprufstelle said that the game was banned because it only contained violence and had no intellectual content (God knows what they think of Angry Birds).

If Doom does go on sale it will only be available to teens over the age of 16 (and we’ll be impressed if they can find a floppy disk device).

The good news comes as id Software prepares to release an open source version of the latest edition of the series, Doom 3, online.

However, the American version of Doom II is still banned in the country because it features levels from Wolfenstein which include Nazi symbols and icons.