p2pnet - rss feed: China bans Sega football game
p2pnet.net News:- China’s Ministry of Culture has banned Sega’s on-line "Football Manager 2005" game because it poses, "harm to the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," says Xinhua, China’s state news agency, going on:
“In the game, which was developed by game producer Sports Interactive, Ltd., Taipei of Taiwan, Hong Kong-Macao region and China’s Tibet are represented as independent countries, according to a circular issued by the ministry”.
The agency says, “Such a distortion, even in a computer game, violates the relevant Chinese laws and is anathema to the Chinese government”.
Football Manager hasn’t yet been officially released, but it’s widely available on the Net and on “downloaded pirated software CDs,” the agency continues, saying:
“The ministry has ordered culture departments across the country work with public security bureaus, industry and commerce and telecom departments, and publishing units to ‘investigate, confiscate and punish websites, computer software markets and Internet cafes, who disseminate or sell ‘Football Manager 2005’"
Anyone offering the game will be penalized with a fine up to 30,000 yuan ($3,600 US dollars) or cancellation of business license, says the circular.
“Internet service providers that do not prevent their users from downloading and installing the game after detection, will receive warning, a fine less than 15,000 yuan (1,800 US dollars) or suspension of their business and cancellation of their license.”
The ministry claims it’s received, “strong protests from Chinese game players" about the game.
"So how could Sega make such an error?" - asks Britain’s Pro-G, going on:
"They didn’t. Keen to quell a potential PR nightmare, Sega have concluded that the only way the game has caused a stir is because the copy the Chinese are playing is the English-release, obtained either through piracy or other unauthorised means. Sega further attempted to placate the government in a statement that tried to emphasise that they wouldn’t make such a foolish error. It read ‘To give Chinese consumers the best football management game experience, Football Manager 2005 is being localised into simplified Chinese. We will follow the correct submission and approval process within China and look forward to feedback from the Chinese authorities on any modifications that may be required’."
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See:-
anathema - China bans on-line game "Football Manager 2005", Xinhuanet, December 8, 2004
PR nightmare - Football Manager 2005, Pro-G, December 9, 2004
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December 10th, 2004 at 12:18 am
Screw China!! Everybody and their mama downloads pirated software, your people got the English pirated version!!! So you want to blame poor Sega for just trying to give you tight asses a fun time away from the rice fields and public lynchings? Why don’t you dumb nerds pick on the internet hosters that broadcast the ish!? Or why don’t you pick on Taiwan for being gay and moving into my neighborhood hiring only racist Taiwanese who can’t drive, and can’t decide whether their Taiwanese or Chinese!! But don’t blame the house that Sonic built, If Sega goes bankrupt because of you corny panda patronizing bastards, I’ll make it my sole duty to run for president and kick the black bean Beef chow fun out of every one of you 1 woman to every 12 men, North Korean lovin’, Tiger Dikk eatin’, school girl kidnapping, losers!!!!!
December 10th, 2004 at 12:36 am
In soccer, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan (sorry, Chinese Taipei) compete seperately from China, similar to how England, Wales, Scotland, and Nothern Ireland are seperate. I think the company grouped everything together as “countries,” so if you looked at a player’s stats, it would say the country of origin is England, even if that’s not technically a country. They should have grouped them together as “football associations” rather than countries. Although, calling Chinese Taipei as Taiwan, if they did that, would probably be enough to get the game banned.
December 10th, 2004 at 1:25 pm
But Tibet? Ireland or N. Ireland?