Turkey probes ‘violent’ Minecraft video game

Popular block-building game Minecraft is coming under investigation by Turkey’s family ministry, on grounds that it encourages violence – in particular against women, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Friday.

The game, which was originally released in 2009 and has a enjoyed a worldwide cult following and re-releases ever since, is being investigated by the Turkish Family and Social Policies Ministry, after complaints over its violent content.

Minecraft tasks with the player with building blocky structures from cubes – and surviving through all of the levels by fighting monsters and creating weapons. In the game’s highest levels, player may need to kill women, allies and even friends to survive.

In the U.S., a nine-year-old boy was in 2013 was sentenced to home confinement by a judge after bringing multiple weapons from school, reportedly inspired by a character from Minecraft, according to gaming website Kotaku.

U.S.-based parental guidance site Commonsensemedia lauds the game for “fostering creativity” but notes that the player will encounter “aggressive monsters they can fight using swords and bows.”