Video games in china
Video games in China is a pastime. China has been the world's fastest growing and top-selling market for video games since 2015. This is mainly due to the average income of Chinese citizens, arbitrary copyright infringement, and government controls over the content and playing times of video games. In 2011, the computer games sector was worth six billion dollars, making it the largest in the world. Arcade games are also a successful industry sector in China. In 2000 there was a ban on console games, but it was lifted again in July 2015.
In esports , China is the most successful country in competition with some of the world's top video game talents.
Hong Kong and Macau have special legal and cultural conditions, which is why the following information does not apply to these two cities.
With the largest market and some of the world's largest video game companies, China is known as the "World Game Capital".
Domestically produced games
Numerous games are produced in China, including Genesis of the Century trilogy (The World of Legend, The Age and Magical Land), Westward Journey, The Incorruptible Warrior and Crazy Mouse . There are numerous massively multiplayer online role-playing games produced in China, some of which are unknown abroad.
Internet cafes
Although China's growing economy has increased the chances of better financial conditions for many Chinese in recent decades, a computer, game console or Internet connection is still priceless for many, which has made internet cafes increasingly popular. In order not to have to buy their own devices and software, the Chinese use a computer in the internet café for a fee (usually per hour), which usually already has a selection of games. Chinese internet cafés often set their own age restrictions to protect younger users from content that is not suitable for minors.
Play on social networks
The Chinese game Happy Farm (2008) was placed 14th on the list of the “15 Most Influential Games of the Decade” by Wired ; mainly due to its influence on social network games. Happy Farm inspired a dozen Facebook clones, the largest of which is Zynga's Farm Ville . Since then, numerous other games have used similar game mechanics, including Sunshine Farm, Happy Farmer, Happy Fishpond, Happy Pig Farm, Farm Town, Country Story, Barn Buddy, Sunshine Ranch, and Happy Harvest, as well as parodies such as Jungle Extreme and Farm Villain .
Gambling halls
Arcades are a successful and widespread economic factor in China. As a result of the ban on console games in 2002, their popularity is comparable to that of computer games in internet cafes. Therefore, Chinese players often visit arcades to play action games, especially fighting games . Occasionally, unlicensed ports of well-known computer or mobile phone games are also used in gambling halls, such as Angry Birds or Plants Against Zombies . In China, gambling halls work in a similar way to internet cafes.
censorship
Like almost all mass media in the country, video games are also censored in China .
- Violations of the principles of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
- Threat to national unity, sovereignty or territorial integrity
- Disclosure of state secrets
- State security threat
- Destruction of state sovereignty
- Disturbance of social order
- Violation of the rights of others
Changes to the ban on video games in China
In July 2015, the video game ban was lifted. According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture, companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft and others are allowed to manufacture and sell game consoles across the country.
Game consoles were banned for the first time in 2000. The reason was the fear that the devices and the resulting 3D worlds could have a negative impact on children's development. In 2015, restrictions were eased and game console manufacturers were allowed to operate in an experimental 28 square kilometer zone around Shanghai known as the Free Trade Zone.
The state press and publications administration, as well as the anti-pornography departments and illegal publications offices, also played a role in controlling the games.
Examples of prohibited games:
- Hearts of Iron (for "distorting history, destroying the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China")
- IGI-2: Covert Strike (for "deliberately defiling China's reputation and its army")
- Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour (for "defiling China's reputation and its army")
- Battlefield 4 (for "defiling China's reputation and endangering national security")
In addition to the total ban on games, some were checked for their content in order to remove certain repulsive or offensive representations. Common examples are skeletons or skulls that have been reworked or completely removed. Examples of this that can be seen in popular Chinese versions of video games are Dota 2 and World of Warcraft .
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Global Games Market Reaches $ 99.6 Billion in 2016, Mobile Generating 37% In: newzoo.com , April 21, 2016, accessed June 9, 2017.
- ↑ PC Game Sales Top $ 18.6 Billion In 2011 In: Cinema Blend , accessed June 9, 2017.
- ↑ Sophia Yan: China eliminates all restrictions on gaming consoles In: CNN , July 27, 2015, accessed June 9, 2017.
- ↑ China's eSports Industry Revenue Reached $ 7B Last Year In: China Money Network , April 25, 2017, accessed June 9, 2017.
- ↑ Nate Lanxon: China Just Became the Games Industry Capital of the World In: Bloomberg LP , the first June 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ↑ C. Custer: Chinese Video Games in America ( Memento of the original from January 20, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: ChinaGeeks, January 24, accessed June 27, 2017.
- ↑ China's Tencent scores with world's top-earning mobile game In: Financial Times , accessed June 30, 2017.
- ↑ Zhang Ye: China becomes gaming goliath In: Global Times , June 1, 2017, accessed June 30, 2017.
- ↑ Chris Kohler: The 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade In: Wired , December 24, 2009, accessed June 27, 2017.
- ↑ China's growing addiction: online farming games ( memento of the original from November 2, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Techgearx.com , October 29, 2009, accessed June 27, 2017.
- ↑ Elliott Ng: China's growing addiction: online farming games In: VentureBeat , October 29, 2009, accessed on June 27, 2017.
- ↑ Chris Kohler: Farm Wars: How Facebook Games Harvest Big Bucks In: Wired , May 19, 2010, accessed June 27, 2017.
- ↑ Facebook》 到 開心 農場 歡呼 收 In: China Times , September 1, 2009, accessed June 27, 2017.
- ↑ Eric Jou: The Wonderful and Seedy World of Chinese Arcades In: Internet Archive , March 19, 2012, accessed June 27, 2017.
- ↑ 50 Illegal Electronic Games Banned In: Xinhua , January 26, 2006, accessed June 30, 2017.
- ↑ a b Swedish video game banned for harming China's sovereignty In: China Daily , May 29, 2004, accessed June 30, 2017.
- ↑ Computer game cracked down on for discrediting China's image In: Xinhua , March 19, 2004, accessed June 30, 2017.
- ↑ Kevin Parrish: Battlefield 4 Now Banned in China In: Tom's Hardware , December 27, 2013, accessed June 30, 2017.
