games banned in greece?

[Palaiologos]

I stand by the goverment 100%.The law targets gamblers, not gamers.


And as for the "tourists" taking "innocent" pictures you must keep in mind that Greece is a country surrounded by enemies and its greatest enemy, Turkey, has a military alliance with Israel which is almost synonimous with espionage.Last year 2 jews were captured by Cypriot authorities, taking "innocent" pictures of the future S-300 missile site.(Greeks will know what i am talking about).They were released after unbearable pressure from Israel.I saw the story on RIK, cypriot T.V.

Amazingly? this story did not make it to Greek headlines.

[JCG]

Will I be arrested in Greece if I bring over a Gameboy, or a PS2, or a Gamecube?

And if so, can you turn any of the above into gambling machines? How?!

Weird situation....

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Palaiologos
I stand by the goverment 100%.The law targets gamblers, not gamers.

who the law makers had in mind has notthing to do with what the law states.
and the law makes no dinstiction between an internet cafe with 100 computers and my house with 1

[Datajack Franit]

I wouldn't want to be there when they'll ban porn as a well

[Shadowstrike]

I can just see it... yep, Markos and a bunch of Apolytoners betting on the outcome of the next Civ3 MP game....

[Palaiologos]

Originally posted by MarkG
who the law makers had in mind has notthing to do with what the law states.
and the law makes no dinstiction between an internet cafe with 100 computers and my house with 1

True, but you can't possibly believe that police officers will start arresting everybody they see using a computer for gaming.

It is just another case of a badly written law.We have a lot of those here in Greece.

[KrazyHorse]

No Mark, as long as I stand outside the fence, I can take all the pictures that I want

IIRC that's untrue.

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Palaiologos
True, but you can't possibly believe that police officers will start arresting everybody they see using a computer for gaming.

true, but i cant rely on some assumption on how the police might act...

nor must i loose the god-given right to play computer games with a friends on internet cafes cause the state cant tell the difference between a casino game and civ3


btw, here is a not 100% correct, non-official translation of the law http://www.gameland.gr/lawenglish.htm
and a bit better one of the first 3 articles

http://www.netcafe.gr/files/law.txt

[MarkG]

what i was referring to in my first posts

Cafe owners ‘enforce’ new law

Protesting Internet cafe owners in Thessaloniki yesterday lodged formal complaints against a Citizens Support Center in the northern city whose online facilities, they claim, contravene a new law banning electronic games in public places. The complaints come one day after the arrest of two Thessaloniki Internet cafe owners for allegedly violating the same law. “Our aim is not to make life hard for public service workers... but to stress how irrational the new law is,” cafe owners explained yesterday, adding that they would plan new “surprises” unless the law was amended.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/politics_4764818KathiLev&xml/&aspKath/politics.asp?fdate=31/08/2002

[Solver]

Ehh, Markos? So if someone here sent a letter to the Greek police telling Markos Giannopoulos from Thesalloniki owns games, plays them and maintains a gaming site on the Net, with other Greeks attending it, would you get arrested?

[joseph1944]

Originally posted by Solver
Ehh, Markos? So if someone here sent a letter to the Greek police telling Markos Giannopoulos from Thesalloniki owns games, plays them and maintains a gaming site on the Net, with other Greeks attending it, would you get arrested?

Now this is a loaded question.

[Rasbelin]

Okay, I must admit that I hadn't taken any action earlier, so I did it now then. Signed both petitions available.

My signature in the petition by the Greek Internet Cafe Union.

Name (capitals please): RASBELIN
Email: rasbey@mail.gr
Occupation: Student, Finland
Comments: This is more than outrageous! Banning harmless games like Pacman and Tetris. Only morons do that, or more Greek parliament members that have been in the outback since the fall of the empire of a certain Macedonian.

And the Greek gaming community in danger petition...

13043. Rasbelin This is more than outrageous! Banning harmless games like Pacman and Tetris. Only morons do that, or more Greek parliament members that have been in the outback since the fall of the empire of a certain Macedonian.

[Bereta_Eder]

thanks for your input but when siging a petition is somewhat useful to appear at least moderaetly trustworthy and serious (so that they take you seriously )

[Bereta_Eder]

for example you could argue about the fall of the 4 hellenic kingdoms than ensued, the transfer of the imperial seat of the roman emopire to constantinople or if you really wanted maximum impact the fall of constantinople itself and the death of emperor constantine.

[Rasbelin]

So you got the pun about the Macedonian.