Following a moment of protest expressed through Nintendo’s “Animal Crossing,” China has moved to ban online gaming with foreign countries.
A new report from Taiwanese publication Taiwan News has revealed an interesting development happening overseas in China, indicating that the Chinese Communist Party is gearing up to censor online gaming in a major way. Apparently, the CCP was displeased after a young activist used the Nintendo Switch megahit Animal Crossing to protest the Chinese government, adorning his island with messages reading “Free Hong Kong, revolution now.”
Fearing that Chinese gamers risked subjecting themselves to alternative, and possibly unflattering viewpoints pertaining to their government, measures were put in place to essentially ban connectivity with any foreign country. According to the report from Taiwan News, the decision will prevent gamers from playing or chatting with anyone from another country, with increased protective measures being implemented to further monitor all online play.
It also states that certain themes will be expressly prohibited, with topics ranging from zombies and plagues no longer acceptable. Should this indeed come to pass, Chinese gamers will no longer be able to engage in “map editing and roleplaying,” the latter of which being notably open to interpretation. In addition to these new limitations, all gamers under the age of eighteen will be subjected to a “curfew period,” which is set to take place between 10 PM and 8 AM.
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