Planet Wolfenstein is reporting that Activision Blizzard has recalled the German version of the just-released Wolfenstein PC game. According to the site, German retailers must yank the game from store shelves, as apparently verboten (forbidden) content--possibly swastika images or other Nazi-related material--has somehow slipped into the German version.
The news echoes the controversy surrounding the original 1994 classic Wolfenstein 3-D in which Germany banned the shooter because of Nazi-related content. However, in this case, there's no official word on why the company pulled the game, however Activision Blizzard is expected to release an official statement within the next few days.
But as Planet Wolfenstein points out, the PC version received an average score and landed somewhat lackluster sales upon its initial release. Once the game hit the streets, the teams from both Endrant and Raven were laid off, so getting a corrected version suitable for German scrutiny may be somewhat difficult.
Recently developer Crytek has threatened to move its facility out of Germany due to the country's proposed anti-games law that would ban the production and distribution of violent video games where "the main part is to realistically play the killing of people or other cruel or un-human acts of violence against humans or manlike characters." Activision Blizzard's recent recall of Wolfenstein could be related to the proposed banning, however current speculation points to the Nazi-related issue instead.
