China bans gangster video games

The Chinese Ministry of Culture recently released a statement announcing all gangster-themed online video games will no longer be allowed since they pose "a serious threat to distort the rule of law and moral standards of society."

The Chinese government is well known for cracking down on Internet use while censoring whatever material it sees fit, though this seems to be an interesting ban.  The government is overly concerned that these mafia-themed games "advocate obscenity, gambling, or violence," and "undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture," Chinese media now reports.

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Shortly after China became a communist nation, the government heavily cracked down on organized crime and mafia-like gangs, but the groups have slowly made their way back.  There is a concern about young gamers playing these violent titles, as they "embody antisocial behavior like killing, beating, looting and raping," the Chinese government said.

Popular titles such as "Gangster," "Godfather" and "Mafioso Hitman" are no longer available, though there are still several other video games with organized crime floating around.

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China, with almost 300 million Internet users, is the world's largest Internet nation, and also has the most extensive, strict monitoring system used by any government.  Most censorship programs are aimed at online gambling and pornography, but foreign-based sites -- including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and other popular services -- have also faced temporary bans.

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I've written extensively about Chinese censorship, and although some censorship initiatives have proven successful, I think this one will be very difficult to enforce.  Gamers who head to local Internet cafes to play video games will be prohibited from playing, but anyone who plays in the privacy of their own home should still be able to acquire copies of any game that they want to play at home.

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