timppu: I always thought the German restrictions were more related to violence and nazi signs,
not so much sexual content, but then how could I know for sure... Except by asking from Germans in gaming forums perhaps.
Has most probablly to do with this:
+++++++++++++++++
Steam introduces its own rating system for Germany Since 1 March 2023, Steam in Germany has been displaying its own age ratings for games that do not have a USK rating.
The system, which was developed in collaboration with the FSM based on an existing system for Brazil, has been well received by the USK.
However, the new system does not mean that adult games will return to the German market. For a long time, games distributed on Steam were mostly sold without an age rating in Germany, but this is now changing: since 1 March 2023, Steam has been displaying its own age ratings in Germany, even if the games in question are not rated by the USK.
The labels, which have their own font and the characteristic blue colour of Steam software such as Big Picture Mode, come in the usual German age ratings of 0, 6, 12, 16 and 18.
However, games with a USK rating are given priority.
Previously, age ratings were only displayed in Germany if a game had passed a USK rating.
The reason for the change in Steam's age check is a change in the law at federal level, which came into force in 2021.
According to §14a JuSchG of the new Youth Protection Act, a labelling obligation has since applied to games and film platforms with over 1 million users, including Steam. These platforms must now provide clearly visible labelling for each medium in the usual German age categories. [SNIP] Specifically, this mainly concerns so-called adult games that contain explicit sexual content. For example, a considerable number of the adult games exhibited at the annual Hentai Expo are not available in Germany via the Steam shop with its enormous user base, although they are offered there internationally and are also available from Germany on specialised online shops such as DLSite or smaller sites such as itch.io. The impetus for the general blocking of adult games on Steam in Germany was a complaint from the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein Media Authority to the online provider in 2020:
The media authority was bothered by the fact that Steam users of all ages could access the explicit acts depicted on the shop pages via screenshots without Steam requiring a strong age check of the users.
According to the media authority, the relevant titles should be separated in a separate, age-restricted shop substructure, for example. Instead of adapting its structure, Valve instead completely blocked the relevant content in Germany. In fact, the new system does not yet mean a return to the German Steam marketplace for these games. ++++++++++++++++
Btw: the base game
(Enishia and the Binding Brand)?
Has an age rating of
[6] (for ages six and up) on Steam.
Since I never saw an age rating here on GOG, I can only assume two things:
A) GOG doesn't want to hassle with age verification, and therefore simply restricts all access for German users
and/or
B) GOG isn't one of these "1.000.000+ users platforms", and therefore not obligated to introduce an age verification.
