China may now be one of the worst places in the world to be a gamer. A new report by the Reuters news agency says that the government's Culture Ministry has issued a ban on any website that features or publicizes mafia gangs along with, as state-run media is reporting, "advocate obscenity, gambling, or violence."
The government isn't taking it lightly as those in violation will be "severely punished." With so many online game companies focused on growing their profits 30-50% in China to $3.51 billion in 2009, developers creating games that glamorize mafia or gang warfare may reconsider launching games there. Boasting roughly 200 million online game players and only a few mafia or gang games out there, the impact may be minimal at first. Unless the government bans certain multiplayer practices that encourage or reward mafia-like behavior.
Source: Reuters
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