[Updated] No Wolpertinger and Pink Elekk quests for Europe
by Robin Torres 
Sep 22nd 2009 at 4:00PM
We usually think that the U.S. is more prudish about these kinds of non-violent topics than Europe, but obviously that is not the case here. Personally, I think these quests are pretty innocuous and the near blindness you get when you get hammered in-game isn't exactly encouraging young drunkenness. But I do see how some would disagree with me.
We are researching this, but in the meantime, do you know which region(s) are causing the removal of these Brewfest quests from Europe?
Update: Wednesday morning before the restart, many people were able to do these quests. But after the restart, the quests disappeared again as intended. It looks as though those who did the quests were able to keep their tokens.
Filed under: Events, Blizzard, Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Elmo Sep 22nd 2009 4:05PM
At least im pretty sure it ain't the Netherlands.
it could be Germany now I think about it. they are quite strict on such things, they don't sell violent games and if they are sold in Germany they demand No or Blue blood.
in fact they also wanted a new law that makes paintball and Lasergaming illegal because it encourage shooting people.
maybe they are that strict on Alcohol use too...
would be funny, the event is based on the German Oktoberfesten and they make a problem out of it :p
Ian R. (Orkchop) Sep 22nd 2009 4:24PM
Probably not, the drinking age in Germany is 16 and drinking is much more socially acceptable.
ragingpeanuts Sep 22nd 2009 4:42PM
1. Definitely not the Netherlands ;)
2. I totally get Germans banning shooting on people ;)
3. Might be the English, seeing as how they got a lot of bingedrinkers irl. Now they get them in-game too ;)
4. Can't be the French either, though... It isn't a wine festival, it's a beerthing, so who knows ;)
I'm not prejudiced. No sir :)
MrMindless Sep 22nd 2009 5:12PM
Its Sweden
why?: cause they are currently the leading nation in europe (changes each year I thought) and are actively trying to ban alcohol from anything but government owned stores.
They are also trying to ban the advertisement of all alcoholic products and increase the price massively
Its them, I'm sorry if I sound racist or so but almost any other European country doesn't have issues with drinking at all.
Now we just have to nuke the swedes and we get our pink eleks
slyman.is.god Sep 22nd 2009 5:30PM
*Oktoberfest
Mr. A Sep 22nd 2009 5:47PM
It's not sweden I can assure you. They're too epic for such a failure.
Hansbo Sep 22nd 2009 6:13PM
I've never heard of sweden censoring video games before though. Sounds a bit far-fetched, even though they do have a state monopoly on alcohol sale.
Haiku-Prince Sep 22nd 2009 6:28PM
We´ll some facts about the german drinking age are a little overboard.
You can buy beer and whine at the age of 16, liqour and higher alcoholic volumes may be bought at the age of 18.
Same goes for cigarettes (18) up from 16 years.
While we do have the jump from a bridge drunk and don´t die achievement as well as the dance in drunk in dalaran achievement, I can assume the pink elek´s were reminding of harder drugs than alcohol and got shafted.
In this case it might just have been germany, since the elections are coming and everyone tries to find some Nebenkriegsschauplatz to score some undecided votes.
jeff Sep 22nd 2009 6:41PM
@MrMindless:
So Sweden is trying to become Utah?
Koompje Sep 22nd 2009 6:55PM
I'm pretty sure it's Germany too... Their game policy is pretty strict nowadays. Today a sequel to the wolvenstein series got banned too: http://www.destructoid.com/latest-wolfenstein-pulled-from-german-store-shelves-149504.phtml
I'm for sure it's not the Netherlands. I'm dutch and i happen to know the rules here for all media are pretty loose.
IMO, who cares if your cyber alter ego has to get drunk to get an achievement. It's a game. We're murdering innocent people and creatures, but it's alcohol use that's getting nerfed.
Fyve & Boomstick Sep 22nd 2009 10:09PM
Pretty sure it's not the UK. My understanding is that the BBFC handle video game ratings in addition to movies. And I can't see them kicking up a fuss over the rating given to Warcraft being changed by an j. Game festival about drinking. Wrath of the Lich King is rated 12. Admittedly lower than the legal drinking age. But then, it's clearly in a fantasy subtext.
I'll be very disappointed if I'm wrong and some busy body has gotten ahold of this like a rabid dog and has been shaking it around Whitehall somewhere. Better ways to spend my taxes and or cut out binge drinking! :-/
pandaba Sep 22nd 2009 8:37PM
As someone who is in Utah (and ironically enough, playing on EU servers), I'm happy to say that my state is more liberal on drinking than Sweden, assuming MrMindless's description is correct.
The state government recently changed a lot of the drinking rules here to make this state more like the rest of the US, mainly so we wouldn't scare away tourists with weird and arcane laws. Nice to be more liberal than Sweden on something, even if it's just drunkenness.
staffan.johansson Sep 22nd 2009 9:21PM
*Trying* to ban? In Sweden, the only alcohol sale allowed outside of Systembolaget (the government-owned alcohol stores) are in licensed restaurants, and weak beer/cider (3.5% IIRC) in regular stores. The current administration is considering loosening the restrictions a little bit to allow direct sales from local producers, but some of the coalition parties aren't onboard with that. Alcohol advertisements have actually been legalized recently, due to EU pressure (although I think they have to be accompanied by a warning text of some kind).
It used to be way worse. From 1917 to 1955, we actually had booze rationing, which was based on things like income/wealth, sex, and social status. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratt_System
MightyBurebista Sep 22nd 2009 10:39PM
The German government are the sorriest bunch of lily-livered pansies this side of the old Iron Curtain. No wonder there's so many angry skinheads nowadays hell-bent on toppling the system...
cedric.roland Sep 23rd 2009 2:21AM
Careful about the silent countries too: wow is most probably distributed in all the members of the EU, and considering coutries may take a harsher stance than the "official" european stance. Ik could take something as small as Luxemburg to ruin a pie.
and let's also not forget the European servers also contain Spanish and Russian servers.
Anyway, probably needle in a haystack to find out who sent the cease and desist to Blizzard, and probably not worth the quest, especially with the daily quest counter being all f***ed up - we've got other fishes to fry! :)
danielmattson Sep 24th 2009 3:29PM
No fair, QQ, this is Gordon browns fault etc. :(
Rin Sep 22nd 2009 4:06PM
Just another example of people in power overreacting to things that aren't a big deal.
*sigh*
Crööl Sep 24th 2009 8:02AM
The powers there know they are over reacting. But it helps push money/power where they want it. Worthless ruling classes.
Flec Sep 22nd 2009 4:07PM
Huh i was rather wondering why this wasn't in.
I'd assumed they had just decided to pull it again for simplicity but oh well it was hardly one of the more interesting quests anyway speaking as someone who has attended every brewfest
Mark Turpin Sep 22nd 2009 4:07PM
I want my 40 tokens that I would have gotten had I been given the quest...