“The state watched with interest.”

November 25, 2018 10:28 AM

The Stasi Play Along by Denis Gießler [Zeit Online] “At the time, the Commodore model was the world's best-selling home computer. But had it been up to the West, the computers would never have found their way into East Germany. In 1988, microelectronics were still on the list of embargoed products maintained by the Coordinating Committee on Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom). Western states had agreed they wouldn't supply any technology goods to the communist countries of the Eastern bloc. But the C64s had made their way into East Germany nonetheless, and GDR customs officials allowed them to pass. They didn't have a problem with the import of Western hardware. But software, and especially video games, were another matter. Their content was of great concern to East German officials.”
posted by Fizz (5 comments total)

(The author’s name is Denis Gießler. The “Von” is an untranslated “by”, as in “by Denis Gießler.)
posted by jedicus at 10:33 AM on November 25, 2018

Mod note: Fixed at poster request
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:41 AM on November 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm almost sure another advantage of tapes was that you could probably sneak a few games on a Karat B-side or something.
Bonus: STASI officials looking at western technology (Tumblr really loves this bit. As they should, because D83 is amazing).

Interestingly, the East Germans were not violating the law by copying the games because software was not protected by copyright in the country. The Leipzig District Court had ruled in a landmark decision in September 1979 that it considered software to be "neither a scientific work nor a creative achievement."
Considering how rampant piracy was down here in the 80s, that was also probably the case. A lot of places made their way copying Spectrum tapes and selling them with their own branding, and if there was legislation against that, it's not like the police would care, even like... 6 or 7 years ago there was a store more or less openly selling modded xboxes and copied games. One guy threatened to call the police on us because none of his games worked on a console from us... and on inspection, all were copies from that store.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:25 AM on November 25, 2018 [6 favorites]

This is a really interesting piece, thanks!

The informant made a copy of the air-war action game "Ace of Aces" from the 11th-grader and then reported to his commanding officer that in the game, "it is possible with airplanes, submarines and other combat equipment to attack and bomb cities or fight military objects in a pan-European context."

I'm old enough to remember playing the DOS version of the game, which, IIRC, my dad rented for me from a computer store...the Stasi was ascribing a level of complexity to the game that didn't really exist, methinks. Although it might have been a bit mind-blowing for them in any case.

I do recall accidentally killing off one engine, then another when I first played it because I was curious about what the "extinguisher" buttons would do, and I hadn't bothered looking at the manual yet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If the Stasi had discovered that you owned a copy of the game as a teenager, Ullmann says, "that could have caused a lot of trouble." But, he adds, "the love for video games clearly trumped fears of being caught by the Stasi."

While access to the clubs where you could get your hands on the games seemed to be a point of privilege, it would seem the kids, as always, were alright.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:12 PM on November 25, 2018

Previously, a video focusing on locally-made video games in East Germany.
posted by CrunchyFrog at 12:48 PM on November 25, 2018 [1 favorite]