China to launch crackdown vs Online Games
 

BEIJING, China -- China is gearing up for a nationwide crackdown on online computer games, including those with sensitive political content, officials said Wednesday.

The operation is the latest attempt by China to rein in what it perceives as the harmful influences of the Internet in a country where usage has exploded in recent years, with 87 million users.

A three-month pilot campaign was conducted from April to June, mainly in Beijing, which found 56 games either contained "unhealthy" content, had never been registered and approved by authorities or were pirated.

Kou Xiaowei, deputy director of the audio and video section of the State Administration of Press and Publications, said: "The campaign is unique because it will specifically target video games makers.

"It will be the biggest campaign of its kind in recent years."

He told AFP that most of the 56 games were pirates of foreign electronic games or were not properly registered, adding that some advocated Taiwan or Tibet independence.

"It was mainly overseas games which had content problems. Some of them portrayed Taiwan as a territory of Japan," said Kou.

China considers the island, which separated from the mainland in 1949, as a province awaiting reunification.

Games banned so far include "Project IG12: Covert Strike" -- a game in which Chinese soldiers are attacked and is considered to smear the Chinese army's image.

Another game, "Hearts of Iron," calls for Tibet independence and includes Taiwan as part of Japan's territory.

The games violated China's gaming regulations, which ban any games that "hurt national dignity and interests", the China Daily said.

The administration has tightened market supervision, shut down video shops and launched probes into game making companies.

The next step will be to join hands with the State Copyright Bureau and the National Office for Anti-Porn and Anti-Piracy to kick off a nationwide campaign, Kou said, without giving a specific timetable.

Some of the games makers would be taken to court, China Daily quoted sources with the administration as saying.

The online game industry has come under government focus as statistics found one fifth of China's Internet users are game players -- a 64 percent increase over 2002 and still growing, the China Daily said, citing an official annual report on the industry.

More than 30 percent of China's Internet users are believed to be students and 50 percent are under the age of 24. Of these younger Internet users, 46 percent visit lewd websites, according to the China Daily.

A nationwide crackdown on pornographic websites is currently in full swing. Since mid-July, nearly 700 websites have been shut down in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing cities and Liaoning and Guangdong provinces.

Aug 04, 2004
Agence France-Presse

Sometimes I think china makes more sence then canada/US ...

No wonder why there is so much violence arround here ... everything revolve arround it . Games movies ...

China is going the communist way to discipline its citizens... too bad they have to resort such way, still i think its a good solution to be introduced to other countries who wants to follow their footsteps.

link?

that shit is fuckkkkked up

This shit is getting old..

watch bowling of columbine and you will see that violence doesn't have anything to do with it we in the us just like to kick ass...

I think China's communist party is getting closer and closer to failing like the USSR did.. I give them 10 years max. Their recent actions show they are really struggling to control their people..

Students of all people will not accept losing the freedoms they once had.

Internet is the best thing that happened in the 21st century. putting such actions or preventing people to act on somethin on their freewill is a way of preventing them to fully exercise their freedom of speech and action.

Expect lots of Chinese migrating to other countries in the years to come.

dude.. i dont know about you but i play online games and watch violent movies and it never made me want to go out and find a nice bell tower for my rifle.

people do fucked up shit because there crazy.. 1 in 4 north americans are mentaly unstable according to a study i read in highschool a few years ago. Now thats anything from a fear of water to being a homicidle fucktard but still 1 in 4.. wow When you crunch some #'s thats alota wackos:helpme