German release: Will HOI 4 be released in Germany?

[seattle]

It is not PDS which has me worried, it is Steam - I know that they can be very restrictive and are able to force you to play a Language version that you do not want to play in.

That!
So Hitler is definitely not in the German version and it will probably not be out on release day.
The question that hasn't been answered though:
Will we German customers be able to buy the uncut original English version on German soil via Steam or any other retail platform?
I couldn't care less for a localized version. I will play the game in English anyways. I do want my Hitlers and Himmlers in the game though and preferably on release day with little to no modding work and multiplayer checksum-issues.
I'd be very glad if one of the devs could answer that question. Thanks!

 

[Thanik]

German "cuted" version of game ,will have this same checksum as standard game? (and how about HOI 3?)

 

[Hayro]

worst case scenerio german players will get the game like this
[video=youtube;NRMqonctTtQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRMqonctTtQ[/video]
or this
[video=youtube;vkUuABNnTC0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUuABNnTC0[/video]

 

[Amaror]

Kinda off topic but is there any movements to loosen up such restrictive laws in germany?
I mean its kinda censoring the artistic expression/freedom of speech when you look at from another perspective

First of all: The laws aren't as restrictive as some make it out to be, the developers tend to misunderstand that as well and cut their games down more than they have to. Nowhere in germany are pictures of hitler or anyone else illegal to show. The same goes for names. Nobody is going to ban this game for including the name "Adolf Hitler" but some developers just don't get that. The only thing that's illegal is the display of nazi symbols and flags, because that counts as propaganda of the nazi party which is illegal.
Second of all: Art, Science and Education are allready excempted by this law and don't have to abide by it in any way. However, videogames aren't seen as art by the law yet. There have been few rulings were a videogame was seen as art, but most developers are too chicken to hand their game to the usk uncut to try it.

On topic:
Not releasing the game in germany would be nothing short of retarted, since germany is one of the biggest audiences for strategy games on the planet. Changing names of certain people would be equally stupid, since the names or pictures of Adulf Hitler, Himmler and co are not forbidden in germany in any way.
If Paradox would truly be so stupid to only release a heavily cut down version of the game in germany i know i will most certainly not buy it.

 

[Midden]

When thinking about censorship in all it's forms, the late Mr Hitchens is worth consulting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcJxN1VlcuA

Unfortunately, some git has added visual aids to this you tube speech, I am sorry for that, as the speaker is enough and can paint pictures with his words, better than any visual aids, and I am pretty sure those cack handed images would have pissed him right off.

 

[Avartex]

@Amaror:

Yes, you're right.

And that's why it seems disturbing to me, that the devs are talking about to change names etc. (or even delay/not releasing it) and not only about emblems and flags.

If they really cut it more down than in HOI 3 or talk about a delay or region lock for the Steam version, I'm thinking about not to buy HOI 4 even if I'm a fan of Paradox games.

 

[Fipse]

The question will be in how Steam will handle it, i.e. will Steam allow a Customer in German Speaking countries to Play the English version or not.

Regionlocks are a pure publisher issue. Steam does not force any publisher to put his game behind a region lock because of the name "Hitler".

The most famous example, Wolfenstein the New Order, was a choice from the publisher to force german customers to buy the more expensive german version instead of a cheaper english one.

 

[HeilLoki]

Step 1: Install "hotspot shield" and start it.

Step 2: Log in to steam.

Step 3: Buy the game.

Step 4: Enjoy the game.

 

[Voigt]

Step 3.5: And if Steam or the Publisher is an ass, you always have to use HotSpot Shield (or any other VPN) to play the bought game.

 

[Bodhisattvas]

What worries me is, that we don't have a response so far. If we have a region lock I simply wont buy this game. I don't care for swastika and other smybols, but I need to play in english and I want my politicians and generals to have the right names. Hinkler totaly kills the immersion... .
Well, still half a year ahead, so we have to wait and see.

 

[misterbean]

What worries me is, that we don't have a response so far. If we have a region lock I simply wont buy this game. I don't care for swastika and other smybols, but I need to play in english and I want my politicians and generals to have the right names. Hinkler totaly kills the immersion... .
Well, still half a year ahead, so we have to wait and see.

Honest question here, but can't you just mod in the right names yourself? Shouldn't be that hard, should it? Or would Steam prevent that somehow?

 

[Thanik]

Honest question here, but can't you just mod in the right names yourself? Shouldn't be that hard, should it? Or would Steam prevent that somehow?

Is is easier to have normal game, than "cuted" version of game.
You don't need to edit many graphic/ localisation files (event, decisions, names), after every small patch or expansion.

 

[Sacer]

HOIIV will be released in Germany, but due to German censorship laws, Germany will not be portrayed - it will mostly be a lake or part of France and Poland.

 

[ariansandstrom]

Why would you even think there is a chance of cancelling the game?
Even if there will be some small changes, like in all previous versions, none of them take a lot of work, nor would they be any reason to prevent it from going on sale in Germany.

There is zero reason to be confused about the matter. Nothing is going to come out of it. Paradox will hand the game to the USK, which will tell them whether any changes are necessary. If there will be any, they will very minor. None of them should be bigger than in HoI3 anyway. If that happens to be the case, they will just have different versions on steam which are locked for certain nations. All this hasn't happened yet, so they can't tell you what will happen. There is no reason to worry about it.

They will not allow it. And you can get into trouble if you try to change your country and use a proxy or vpn.

 

[Wulf145]

Honest question here, but can't you just mod in the right names yourself? Shouldn't be that hard, should it? Or would Steam prevent that somehow?

For my part it is not about the Names, or Symbols, themselves since at least in theory one could change it without to much bother, but wther I will be allowed to play the game in another Language other than German.

If PDS & Steam give me the choice, as it has done with all previous releases of HOI, then I am fine - but as they have moved to Steam I am aware that, at least potentially, they would be able to force me to play the version that they want me to play.

 

[Serathion]

There is no reason to assume Adolf Hitler cannot be depicted in the game by law. He is not a "Verfassungsfeindliches Symbol". Only in a metaphorical way. Same goes for his crew.
Symbols like the flag, the swastika, etc. are prohibited, of course.

 

[Stenner]

There is no reason to assume Adolf Hitler cannot be depicted in the game by law. He is not a "Verfassungsfeindliches Symbol". Only in a metaphorical way. Same goes for his crew.
Symbols like the flag, the swastika, etc. are prohibited, of course.

There actually is a reason, even if it's just that pdx is uncomfortable with depicting those people.

I started the last thread for that, which got closed, where I was trying to get suggestions for what they should put there instead. And it didn't get very much traction other than "Wait, what?".

So far it seems to be likely that those people won't be depicted, and if you really want them just look into modding.
The best case scenario would be simply that there is no delay for the German version in this case, which I hope there isn't although I don't live there.

Inb4 someone does something silly and this thread gets locked! Woot!

 

[Silas60]

I'am 99% sure that every version of hoi4 will have the same historical characters and features. Germany only bans swastikas because our
constitution wants to avoid that people can glorify the ns-state. Hitler can be portrayed. Every hoi released in germany (hoi2, hoi3, dh) featured
hitler. Steam will only regionlock hoi if something illegal(explicit gore, swastikas) is portrayed. And this seems not to be the case.
Also it is important to display history and not simply ban and forget it.

 

[colakki]

To bring in the Austrian issue: Austria doesnt have laws like Germany....often Germans order uncensored English versions from Austrian stores because even those cant be bought in Germany.

The problem is: Many game developers dont make an "Austrian" version, because they make one censored German one and sell that on the whole German speaking market. There are very few who care about that fact

 

[JGradus]

Hi, my name is Jakob Munthe, and I am the brand manager for Hearts of Iron IV.
Having read through this thread I would like to give a quick rundown on the situation. As people correctly has mentioned, a lot of the material in HoI IV breaks German law, especially those regarding the sales of toys (in which all games are counted).
Paradox fully respects the German laws and will try to act accordingly. We are currently working with lawyers and ensure a product for the German market that will be in accordance with German law. Regrettably, this version of the game will most likely not be ready for release, but hopefully rather shortly afterwards.
Regarding buying the product from Germany from a non-German site, we try to work according to the request of our partners, where most want us to respect German national laws regardless of the location of the service, which we intend to respect.