German citizens can now breath a sign of relief. After 15 years, they can finally purchase id Software"s first Quake game which was released back in 1996. The Heise Online web site reports that the game has now been removed from the banned list that was created by the government"s Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons.
That means that the game can now be sold to gamers 16 years of age and older. It"s basically the same decision that was made in September when the German government also lifted the ban from id Software"s Doom and Doom II.
id Software"s current owners Bethesda Softworks campaigned to get both Quake and the Doom games removed from the banned list. It is reportedly now trying to get the two Quake expansion packs, Scourge of Armagon and Dissolution of Eternity (both released in 1997) removed from the banned list as well so that the company can republish all three games in Germany.
It"s likely that the Germany government lifted the ban for selling Quake for the same reason it did for the Doom games. Quake"s 3D graphics, which were the most advanced for that period of time, now look primitive compared to the far more realistic looking games that can be bought and played on the market today.