China’s a pretty big place, y’know: 1.3 billion isn’t exactly a population to be sniffed at. Still, huge population or not, the warning by the Chinese government that 4 million teenagers are addicted to the internet because of video games is pretty worrying on its own.
Warning: genuine thought follows in this post along with reputable sources. Regular Sarcastic Gamer visitors may find this uncomfortable and may experience nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps or have problems breathing.
Ever the fan of censorship in all of its forms, whether it’s bureaucratic inside government or the press, or literally hiding ‘ugly’ Beijing homes behind walls before the Olympic Games this year[s], China’s no stranger to internet censorship either, with the actions they take already given their very own nickname: The Great Firewall of China.
That China plans to extend their reach on the internet to the realm of videogames is no surprise. Having conquered Google and Microsoft and demanded they filter search results to remove mentions of Tiananmen Square and other ‘forbidden’ incidents[s] and even made a move to block iTunes access after a pro-Tibet album appeared on the store[s] it was inevitable that the Chinese government would attempt to censor anything else they feel is inappropriate, ‘unpatriotic’, or whichever other buzzword forms part of their excuse this week.
What the Chinese government is calling for is a stricter monitoring system of online multiplayer games for illegal content or features seen as offensive to the country: this could be anything from Chinese enemies (think soldiers in shooters) to content that’s viewed as too violent by the country’s censors. However, this is but the tip of the iceberg.
Having already demanded that Chinese online game developers install technology in their games that will only allow players to use the game once they have revealed their real name and their national identification number, the National People’s Congress is calling for time-based controls to be installed in all games. Once a user exceeds the time limit installed in the game’s software, they’re automatically logged off are unable to play until the next day. Which’d mean that my Burnout Paradise sessions are well and truly done for. Y’know, if I lived in China.
The Congress claims this is to retain the health of Chinese gamers, following recent stories of teenagers dying from playing games for too long[s] but previous efforts to cut down on the time that people spend on online games do not appear to have had an effect. A system which downsized the abilities of a player’s character over a number of hours was introduced in 2005[s]; the recent cases of death by exhaustion happened as recently as last year.
The thing is, is it sensibility or censorship for the sake of censorship? While I can understand time limits being imposed, censoring games that feature ‘anti-Chinese’ content seems a little extreme. It’s hardly like there are many games out there that even feature Chinese enemies in the first place, none that I can think of but I am naturally open to correction.
Still, it looks like China really will censor anything these days. Darn shame..darn shame.
China calls for action against “unhealthy” online games – GamesIndustry.biz
Before Guests Arrive, Beijing Hides Some Messes – NY Times
Google to censor China Web searches – CNET
China ‘blocks’ iTunes music store – BBC News
Chinese gamer dies after three-day session – vnunet
China imposes online gaming curbs – BBC News
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Even if they try this the people will hack around it. Even though America wouldn’t do this don’t think we wouldn’t try. If a game trailer came out now showing the main character blowing up U.S. marines with roadside bombs how do you think that will go down. Talk about controversy(spelling?). Politicians would be trying to get laws that may change the game or even try to ban it. We may think China is going to the extreme(which I agree they are), but would we be diffrent and not care about the virtual killing of our soldiers?
I’ve just realised that Sarcastic Gamer has probably suffered the wrath of the Great Firewall by writing this..oops.
@ Jello
I’m sorry, but you’re way off. There is no equivalence between Chinese censorship and American reactions to the media.
There are games right now where you can fight the American military. Not necessarily in the context of Iraq or terrorism, but they do make the military the enemy in some games (as well as movies, tv etc.) I remember playing Hulk Ultimate Destruction and thinking “am I the only one who sees something wrong with this?” particularly since it was a much more serious, dramatic game than something that puts you in the role of an over the top villain or which has the generic “evil military conspiracy” plot device.
Hell, you’ll never find more controversy than that suroounding the GTA series, but has that been banned? No. All attempts to regulate video game content have failed miserably, and even greater enforcement of ratings has been struck down. When there is public outrage over a game, it makes headlines, and a few stores might pull it off their shelves, but these do not constitute censorship. No one is obligated to buy or sell a game, and people are free to be critical. Freedom cuts both ways.
China is trying to block anything that makes them look bad, or just conflicts with the official position of the government. People who piss of the powers that be may find themselves getting interrogated for days, tortured, imprisoned, or even killed. You think they want the identities of gamers (along with anyone who uses email or the internet) so they can keep track of high scores and achievements?
Oh, and Yamster, I can’t think of any recent games I’ve played which have Chinese villains, but there have been some. Mercenaries for example, didn’t make the Chinese the main villain, but it did send you missions against them, and made them look pretty bad at times. And I dug out Starlancer a while back, which paints China and Russia in a pretty nasty light.
But the things is, I don’t think this is a reaction to a current problem. This is just another step in China’s ever expanding system of censorship and oppression.
1984 and China FTW
@ Riki
I agree we are not even close to China’s censorship, but things like fcc makes me wonder if we are on the same path even if we don’t reach it until the faraway future. The fcc even came out and said that the more power they get from congress then the more they will “help regulate” shows including cable. The fcc where not voted for and are controled by congress.
If a anticipated game that wasn’t cartoony came out, and was based on a popular kid comic book it has good potential to cause an uproar. GTA came close to bringing in the goverment and the fcc when sex simulator showed up.
Even if the game I’m talking about came out doesn’t cause regulation it would be a stepping stone like GTA.
No the FCC is not elected. Most of the government is unelected. For the most part, that’s a good thing. We can’t possibly handle voting for that many positions, and some jobs are not handled well when those who make the decisions have to worry about what kind of effect it will have on the polls. The important thing is that the FCC answers to elected officials, so if we have a problem with what they are doing, we go through the politicians. We are not completely powerless here.
Anyway, the FCC wants to grow because it is a government agency, and that’s what they do. The problem isn’t that we are heading down the path of censorship, it’s that we have been allowing the government to expand for so long that no one is willing to take a stand and actually try to cut it down to size.
Anyway, the FCC doesn’t have the authority to regulate video games the way it regulates TV and radio. It has the authority to regulate broadcasters because there are a limited number of broadcast channels available, and as such the government regulates who gets to use which channel, and therefore, has some interest in making sure it is used properly. In theory, the first amendment still applies, and the FCC can only regulate away obscenity, which is by definition, unprotected speech. You may disagree with their standards (I certainly do at times) or think they are overzealous, but a lack of swear words and knockers on the air waves does not constitute a threat to democracy. Besides, you can find all the filth you want in many other media.
The big difference here is that china is trying to regulate political speech. They want to eliminate anything that is less than supportive of their government. That is extremely dangerous (especially to those who are accused of these thought crimes) and is in no way comparable to the actions of the FCC.
At least, for now. There is a movement that wants to reinstate the “fairness doctrine” which requires that any opinion stated on the air waves (and if some people have their way, the internet as well) must be able to be countered by someone with an opposing view. Anytime someone wants to discuss any issue, the TV or radio station will have to hand over free air time to any random nutjob or lobbying group that wants to state an opposing view. This provides a serious disincentive to station owners, who will simply can any kind of political or social commentary. It’s a classic chilling effect, and a serious threat to free speech. Last time it was merely an fcc regulation, this time it would be a law. Maybe the Supreme Court would strike it down, but last time, they didn’t. It’s a different court now, but at best it’s a 5 to 4 split, hinging on a single swing vote.
But I digress.
Anyway, at this point most organizations that are outraged at the content of video games are pushing for strict enforcement of ratings. While that would probably require handing over the ratings system to the government (which I think would be a mistake) and would lead to some problems when these rules first kick in, I don’t really have a problem with trying to stop minors from buying M rated games. Big friggin deal.