File under: way, way too far over the line. A new German law in response to a school shooting seeks to "authorize prison sentences for those who create or distribute game content which features cruel or otherwise inhumane acts of violence against humans or humanlike creatures."

So, if I deliberately screw up an operation and the patient doesn't survive in Trauma Center, then I'm to be held accountable for virtual malpractice?

With all due respect and symapthy for the families of the victims of the recent German school rampage and Columbine, if you let a violent, emotionally unstable person engage in violent activities, then gas will be thrown on the fire. But it's all to easy to blame Doom, Counter Strike, etc... if you let these same people drink, they will get in barfights. If you let them drive, they will drive aggressively. If you let them box, you'll get another Tyson. And so on and so on. Removing all violence from video games is way too far over the line, even though the incidents are tragic and grave. To put it another way, alcohol-induced domestic violence kills thousands, and could be circumvented by banning all sales of and right to possess alcohol, but I think all adults can agree that it'd be overkill. Violent, twisted people are violent, twisted people, and it's both naive and simple minded to say video games are their primary or only trigger.