DeusExMachina.630: I don't really understand, why those two titles are geoblocked.
Well, in case of "GNB" I can think of a reason: there exists a version, specifically done for the German market.
Censored, of course
(attachment).
The game never got indexed, because only that censored German version was released in Germany.
But...that German version is not included in this bundle, so...
Now, if GOG had created a special "for Germans only" bundle, which includes the censored German version - they could sell that to their German customers with no problems.
DeusExMachina.630: The old "no swastika in German releases" rule isn't a thing anymore, too.
Though it's decided on a case by case basis, but we we're EVEN allowed to legally buy Wolfenstein 3D by now. :D
Ah, it's not quite as easy, my friend.
The "social adequacy clause" in Section 86a (3) authorises the use of anti-constitutional symbols for
- "civic education,
- the defence against unconstitutional aspirations,
- art
(*) or science,
- research or teaching,
- reporting on current events or history, or for
- similar purposes".
Almost every informed media user knows this:
As long as the depiction takes place in the context of art and culture and
does not serve propaganda or similar purposes, an exception applies.
Regardless of whether it is a documentary or action film, novel or illustrated book.
So far so good, right?
However: a historic court decision by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court in 1998 changed everything:
The judge in charge had to judge "Wolfenstein 3D" and its anti-constitutional content, and ruled that "games under §86 a of the German Criminal Code were not allowed to display anti-constitutional symbols".
Whether the "social adequacy clause" applied, was not even examined or mentioned. The decision was later interpreted in a way to mean that
the exception made possible by Section 86a (3) did not apply to games, although the court did not specify this.
The USK subsequently changed its guidelines:
Since
(according to the court decision) games could not be tested for their social appropriateness anymore, relevant titles were immediately rejected, and indexing was recommended.
In 2002, "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" was released and - unlike its forefather "Wolfenstein 3D" - the anti-constitutional symbols depicted, and the degree of violence shown, were the decisive factors for its indexing.
Back to today: following the latest amendment to the law,
games are now again subject to a social appropriateness test in addition to the age check and rated accordingly.
This applies to new games, but publishers can also submit older titles and thus possibly make their original version available in Germany.
However: there's no release guarantee:
Despite the new review, it should not be assumed that all games will now simply be waved through:
games that use anti-constitutional symbols for glorification do not fall under social adequacy, of course. And other things
(here: laws) must also be considered:
The (as such) harmless skateboarding game "Skate 2" from 2009 had to be censored in Germany, because a fashion brand inside the game used the sig rune.
And this rune is banned as an anti-constitutional symbol in Germany. And § 86 stipulates, that this type of in-game usage, is not possible for anti-constitutional content. The latest amendment to the law doesn't change that.
(*) one could surely make an argument about "games being art", however: other factors still weigh in on that.
Let's just say: if you are a developer who desperately wants to make a game with swastikas in it - better make it something like
https://www.gog.com/en/game/attentat_1942