Minecraft bans investigated by Microsoft By Kevin Rawlinson BBC News
11 March 2015
Minecraft owner Microsoft is investigating reports the Turkish government is preparing to ban the game according to the BBC reports.
According local media, a study by the Turkish Family and Social Policies Ministry found that the game encouraged violence.
There were conflicting reports regarding what actions the government was planning to take in response.
Some claimed it would ask an appeals court to ban on the game. Others said it would request Microsoft to make changes.
According to the Haberturk newspaper the report of the ministry reads: "Although the game can be viewed as encouraging creativity in children by building bridges, farms and houses mobs [hostile creatures] must be killed in order to defend these structures. In other words the game is founded on violence."
'Social isolation'
According to the newspaper there are children who might think that they are playing Minecraft with the real world, and think that torturing animals will not cause pain.
It said that the report was based on the experiences of a 9-year-old. It suggested that playing Minecraft could cause "social isolation".
Haberturk reported that the ministry's legal affairs division was instructed to take the first step toward bans on Minecraft.
But, according to Fatih Oke, a spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Washington DC, a ban was "out of the possibility".
Mr. Oke said to Christian Science Monitor: "There will be no ban.
"The game is not banned and is not going to be banned.
The Family and Social Policy Ministry doesn't have the authority to ban any product.
"I believe that this is what was reported in the Turkish media, however, it is incorrect.
"The ministry is not able to deal with complaints.
"In this instance I was told that there were many complaints from parents regarding the influence of Minecraft on children.
"The ministry's mission is to spread awareness."
The government can't prohibit the game in a unilateral manner however, it can convince the court.
While Turkey is not renowned for its ban on computer games, some websites have been shut down recently.
Last year, access to both Twitter and YouTube was temporarily blocked as well as Facebook was forced to block some pages that were believed to insult the Prophet Muhammad in January this year.
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'Creative freedom'
A spokesperson for Mojang, which makes Minecraft under the Microsoft umbrella after Microsoft bought the game for $2.5bn (PS1.68bn) in September 2014, was unable to speak directly about the reports.
He stated: "Minecraft is enjoyed by many players in a wide variety of ways.
"While many people enjoy the artistic freedom Minecraft and its tools provide however, some people prefer the chance to explore a world with no boundaries and share exciting adventures with their friends.
"We encourage players to collaborate in order to achieve success, whether they're building, exploring or adventuring.
"The Minecraft world can be dangerous: it's home to terrifying, genderless monsters who come out at the night.
"It might be necessary to ensure their survival.
"If people find this level of fantasy conflict to be disturbing we would advise them to play in Creative Mode, or to enable the Peaceful setting.
"Both of these options will keep monsters from appearing everywhere."
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