Now that China is allowing video game consoles to be legally sold in the country for the first time in 14 years, there are going to be plenty of rules to follow if the games want to get published. The Chinese Ministry of Culture will inspect each game and determine if it is acceptable for release.
Head of Ministry Cai Wu said the rules are being written as swiftly as possible, and his branch will be on the look out for anything that could be perceived as anti-China.
“Things that are hostile to China, or not in conformity with the outlook of China’s government, won’t be allowed. We want to open the window a crack to get some fresh air, but we still need a screen to block the flies and mosquitoes.”
The Chinese government had already banned Battlefield 4 due to its recent expansion pack, China Rising, in which a rogue general attempts a coup.
It would appear that the Chinese government does not want to be portrayed in a bad light in front of its own people. American developers will have to keep thinking of different countries and targets to turn into antagonists if they want a piece of the Chinese market.
At least Tecmo Koei will be rolling in the dough. All they make nowadays are fighting games with sexy ladies and hack ‘n slashers which glorify Chinese history. What could possibly go wrong there?
