China warns game devs not to mess with history
- Reference: 1629090065
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/08/16/china_warns_on_historical_fiction_games/
- Source link:
Citing a game depicting Chinese general and Song Dynasty hero Yue Fei, China National Radio commentator Zhang Keyue lamented that mostly teenage players could easily be influenced, eventually misinterpreting the game's historical fiction as true.
"In this regard, the online game industry must strengthen self-discipline," [1]said Keyue (his article was interpreted through an online language translation service). He called for the industry to strengthen its pre-approval management.
[2]
Beijing has not been shy about its suspicions of gaming. In the past, China has sought to [3]define gaming addiction , required gamers to [4]use their real names when playing online, and instituted gaming curfews.
[5]
Earlier this month, a state-owned publication ran a story about gaming causing decline in student performance, and damaging adult relationships by leading family members to ignore their household responsibilities.
China has even referred to gaming as " [6]spiritual opium ".
[7]Alibaba to offer self-defense training in response to sexual assault allegation
[8]China plans laws for 'healthy' development of tech companies
[9]Chinese espionage group targets Israel while suggesting the source could be Iran
Gaming companies have restricted access to their products in the hope such actions avoid Beijing imposing harsher regulations, as has happened for numerous other industries.
In July Tencent, for example, [10]added facial recognition technology to prevent kids from hopping on to a grown-up's account and staying up late to play surreptitiously, and [11]limited the number of hours minors can engage in video games daily. ®
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[1] http://news.cnr.cn/comment/cnrp/20210814/t20210814_525563796.shtml
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YRo3YHwwlKkJBIhczPYU7QAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2013/02/20/new_chinese_games_addiction_definition
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/04/china_gamer_id_law/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YRo3YHwwlKkJBIhczPYU7QAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/04/china_gaming_spiritual_opium/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/13/alibaba_strengthen_organizational_guardrails_for_positive_workplace_environment/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/12/china_new_rule_of_law_plan/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/11/china_unc215_israel_attacks/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/08/tencent_facial_recognition_gaming_curfew/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/04/china_gaming_spiritual_opium/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Exactly. And the biggest problem is that you're not going to know which version of history you're not messing with, until the powers that be tell you their already messed up version. What a... er... mess.
So I suppose that we won't be seeing the FPS aptly named "Tiananmen Square Massacre" by the new startup called ElevenCent any time soon, as according to the local Gouv , it was just a peaceful protest with nothing to see.....
Winnie the Pooh is historic...
Does that mean we can now show Mr. Pooh once again? Or report the facts about all those "incidents" that you previously swept under the rug to avoid international scrutiny? Or-
*Post goes blank & is replaced by friendly green Chinese characters that read "Nothing to see here. Please move along."*
Another option.
I was thinking Total War - Tibet myself.
Good work for game devs, if they don't vanish
The games will need a software update every time the Chinese Government changes the official record historical events.
Re: Good work for game devs, if they don't vanish
There's a civil servant in charge of making those changes - a Comrade Winston Smith.
Factual Games
Games are how we teach the youngest of children. Suspending disbelief allows players to investigate options unavailable in reality. Creating games teaches the building of internally consistent rules etc.
If games are to be factual, historically accurate, there's probably little fun to be had in playing the Jin dynasty in a C13 game - you are going to lose to the Mongols every time.
The "challenge" is to encourage critical thinking, to distinguish the difference between fact and fiction. If people can't tell the difference, better to start there. Otherwise how would they tell the difference between true (historical) facts and false ones. I think some governments don't like critical thinkers.
Re: Factual Games
I'm quite sure that here in the West, it's strongly advised against letting the youngest of children use screens, let alone play video games, and really sure that is not how we teach them.
Re: Factual Games
I wasn't referring only to computer based games, but games in general.
"Got your nose" is a game. Do you still think your uncle has your nose? Nope, you learnt.
Re: Factual Games
Gee, so you were talking about something totally unrelated to the content of the article, since China has not announced any restriction on "Got your nose"? You had me fooled for a second there, I should have suspended my disbelief, or something.
Re: Factual Games
Surely computer games are a subset of games in general? So, no, not unrelated.
Re: Factual Games
Be sure to bring back those goalposts when you're done running around with them, thanks!
Re: Factual Games
When with toddlers, use of tablet gamesand technology increases intelligence, coordination and spacial awareness, various studies have proven. Issue comes with balance, as games playing can give a dopamine hit, its very easy for those lacking enough dopamine balance - ADHD to get hooked.
Re: Factual Games
> Issue comes with balance, as games playing can give a dopamine hit, its very easy for those lacking enough dopamine balance - ADHD to get hooked.
The games industry calls them "whales".
Castle Wolfenstein & Hitler
I agree.
You can imagine my shock when I learnt that Hitler didn't actually have machine-gun arms...
Re: Castle Wolfenstein & Hitler
But he did only have one ...
Where does China stand on the banning of Hearts of Iron IV. Meddling with history indeed.
Got it
So as long as game devs stick with depicting atrocities committed during the Cultural Revolution they should be fine.
you mean
Kung Fu Panda might be censored ?
"eventually misinterpreting the game's historical fiction as true"
It's a game , not a history lesson.
That is a stupid decision. It is also a demonstration that the Chinese governments wants its citizens to only think in the approved way. No leeway for intelligence, your brain will be stamped with the Proper Thinking Protocol.
Human beings do not function like that. We need evasion, fantasy, and alternate realities - especially when our lives are dull and dreary.
Putting the squeeze on gaming is just to give you a generation of alcoholics and drug users.
It's a bonkers decision, and the consequences will not be what you think, Xi.
"That's our job."