China To Crack Down On "Undesirable" Games

The Chinese government is getting ready to launch a new round of content restrictions for online games. Kou Xiaowei, a senior official with the General Administration of Press and Publication, said, "Although China's online gaming industry had been hot in recent years, online games are regarded by many as a sort of spiritual opium and the whole industry is marginalized by mainstream society." The article points out that China has already "banned children from Internet cafes and last year ordered their owners to enforce time restrictions after several cases involving obsessive players dying of fatigue after marathon game sessions." We've also seen Chinese restrictions on player-versus-player content for kids, as well as required content modifications such as removing skeletons in order for games to be sold there.

Agreed.

[s1lverl0rd]

China has the power to do many things other coutries frown upon. Of all the things they did, I think this one is the least disturbing.

Nothing to see here, move along.

Re:When in China...

[phantomfive]

It's understandable that their greatest fear would be chaos, they have direct experience with it during the cultural revolution. It was horrible. And interestingly, it was largely democratic, in that it was the people doing it, not the secret police, although it was at the instigation of the leaders. It was the rising up of the proletariat to do whatever they wanted.

One interesting difference between the Russian communism and Chinese communism is that while Russia had the secret police, and strong military control, China didn't really have that nearly as much. It was the people who kept each other in line in China.

While we look on their situation as oppressive, they don't see it that way, in fact if there were elections, most Chinese would probably approve the way things are being run right now. There will not be democracy until the people are ready for it.

Re:When in China...

[fbjon]

There will not be democracy until the people are ready for it.

Which is oddly democratic..

Re:When in China...

[Anonymous Coward]

Governments use many tools to divide and conquer us. Race, Class, base fears such as terrorism, and influence from foreign powers.
Yes, China is moving in a positive direction, but let's not fall into the cultural relativism trap. Our governments have limited power by design. That makes them better. Not, "Oh their culture is different so whatever works for them". They are not aliens, they are people, and getting rid of dictatorships is something they can aspire to.

The age gap is massive, since many younger people have no experience, or even second hand anecdotes of the cultural revolution; it's no more tangible to them as fighting in the trenches of WW1 is to me.
Have a few beers with some students in the bar, and you'll find that just as many are politically aware as anywhere else (mind you many don't care, and we have those people too). They are aware of the freedoms they lack, and want them back.