Brazilian video game ban angers fans

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Do violent video games beget violence? That question is at the core of a debate raging in Brazil.

Last month, a national ban went into effect on the sale of two popular games, ‘Counter-Strike’ and ‘EverQuest.’ A judge labeled the games ‘harmful to consumers’ health.’’ Both games have large international followings. A group of players and allies took to the streets of Sao Paulo last weekend to denounce the prohibition as an attack on freedom of expression, reports O Globo.

The controversy has resounded on the Internet among video game aficionados.

An altered version of ‘Counter-Strike,’ a counter-terrorism game, in circulation in Brazil sets the battle in the rough favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where police and drug traffickers clash for control.

-- Marcelo Soares in Sao Paulo and Patrick J. McDonnell in Buenos Aires