China: "Reveal Yourself, Or Don't Play Online"

Not sure if this is PP material, but it seems politically charged in some respects.

Quote:

BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese gamers who frequently adopt flamboyant alter egos for their online contests will soon be forced to reveal their true identities in a bid to stop youngsters from spending too much time in the virtual world.

Beginning in June, all Chinese Internet game manufacturers will be required to install technology in their games that demands players reveal their real name and identification number, the Xinhua news agency said Tuesday.

Seven companies participated in a pilot project last year, which so far made more than 100 domestically-produced games unaccessible to players unless they register, Xinhua said.

The companies work with the police to ensure the name and identification number given by players are real.

Currently, many players simply register fake IDs.

The new system is aimed at helping parents track how many hours the teenager has played and which games he or she plays, Xinhua said.

"Using a system of real names is to standardize the Internet games network market and promote the stable and healthy development of the games industry," Wang Feng, vice chairman for Jinshan Software Company, was quoted by the Beijing newspaper Daily Messenger saying.

The paper, however, also quoted a teenager saying gamers will lose the fun of playing different roles anonymously in virtual reality when they have to register their real identity.

If a player uses a forged identity, his rank and score will be annulled.

The move is the latest attempt by the authorities to regulate the booming online gaming market after a measure last year to automatically log players off games once they exceeded a set number of hours of continuous play.

China's government has also tried to control the market by banning "unpatriotic games" that make Chinese soldiers or agents the enemy and by persuading companies to develop "healthy" games that feature Chinese heroes such as the communist do-gooder Lei Feng.

Statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center show that China had 111 million Internet users by the end of 2005, more than 20 million of whom were online game players.
Source

Imagine being a ninja looter on WoW in that country...

*DING-DONG*
"Who is it?"
"It's the guy you ninja'd Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker from!"
"Oh shit"

Jam it back in, in the dark.

You know, I'd almost have to say that's an upside to China's system. You wouldn't have the same insane child obseity problems you had here if we employed that.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Hah how awesome. I wish that were in effect in the US. Then these freaking 12 year old kids would think twice before saying half of the crap that they say on whatever game they happen to be playing.

Most amazing jew boots

You all seem to completely miss the true nature of this. China wants to control its people. This is not an effort "aimed at helping parents track how many hours the teenager has played", but a tool for the government to spy on and track down the teenagers themselves, if they were to behave in a way they would disaprove of.

It's just another brick in the wall of a nationwide blacklisting of websites, nondisclosure of information and conveying propaganda - even in computer and video games.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Rock, not like they already do... in disguise To be honest, at least again as Russ said, you won't have stupid 12 years old saying whatever they please because they're hiding behind a freakin' monitor.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Still, playing online game that much is dangerous for health. I heard lot of stories of people who died because they were playing MMORPG for about 3 days. He died because of sudden heart attack I think.

It's very silly and totally not cool if you died because of playing a game.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Rock

You all seem to completely miss the true nature of this. China wants to control its people. This is not an effort "aimed at helping parents track how many hours the teenager has played", but a tool for the government to spy on and track down the teenagers themselves, if they were to behave in a way they would disaprove of.

Quite Orwellian, no?

Originally Posted by Rock

It's just another brick in the wall of a nationwide blacklisting of websites, nondisclosure of information and conveying propaganda - even in computer and video games.

China is proving that capitalism and totalitarianism mesh rather well. So much for China becoming more democratic through the operations of the "free market".

Originally Posted by eriol

Still, playing online game that much is dangerous for health. I heard lot of stories of people who died because they were playing MMORPG for about 3 days. He died because of sudden heart attack I think.

It's very silly and totally not cool if you died because of playing a game.

I don't see anything wrong with that. There's about 6.5 billion people on the planet. We could use less dipshits.

FELIPE NO

Quote:

China is proving that capitalism and totalitarianism mesh rather well. So much for China becoming more democratic through the operations of the "free market".

We're probably not hearing about the REAL progress as much as we should be. Western co-operatives are finding ways to crack through China's internet filters and help reach people on the inside. There is real dissent going on. And one day...we'll see.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by loyalist

We're probably not hearing about the REAL progress as much as we should be. Western co-operatives are finding ways to crack through China's internet filters and help reach people on the inside. There is real dissent going on. And one day...we'll see.

Probably. The internet is hard, if not impossible to control. Whatever people can make, others can break. That observation was more or less from a government standpoint.

The Chinese government has already had to deal with a sizable amount of unrest already. Mostly dealing with their rapid modernization programs and energy shortages. Not so much civil rights.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I remember there was a Chinese town that revolted. They even repelled the riot police for a while. I never heard a follow up story about it. Anybody remember what happened to it?

As for the Orwellian implications, I'm sure The Party will be glad to know that they've bred a generation of Gold Farmers.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Bradylama

Anybody remember what happened to it?

Well, seeing as how this is the first I've heard of it, I would assume that the people of said town have already been arrested and executed. =/

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Bradylama

I remember there was a Chinese town that revolted. They even repelled the riot police for a while. I never heard a follow up story about it. Anybody remember what happened to it?

There have been multiple revolts and riots in China within the last couple years, you'll have to be more specific.

Maybe this is it, although it's a pretty typical story of farmer revolts. It happened 2005 in a rural farming town on the Southern part of the country. Farmers were having a peaceful protest against Hong Kong factories coming in and taking over their land to produce clothes or some shit. They actually held off the police for a day or two, but then tanks came and the police started firing back and pretty much ended that. Those who didn't get beaten by the police and taken in were driven off the land and left the starve without any sort of livelihood. The fatalities at the scene weren't that bad, I think it below a hundred but there was a follow up article on the fate of the people who left and it was pretty gut wrenching. Since the village population no longer had "jobs" as farmers, a lot resorted to begging in the bigger cities while the lucky ones got jobs at the new factory and got sick with pollution in the area.

I'm not surprised on this news. The PRC have been regulating the internet ever since it came into existance into the country, hell they even read outgoing and incoming e-mails. You have to use your ID # to even sign on the internet, so I'd imagine it's a natural step up.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Isn't this a part of China's other law mandating that people are only allowed to play online games 4 hours a day or something like that?

Anyway, hardly surprising. Nobody really seems to care what China does to its people anymore, because the trade is just too sweet. Human rights violations only matter when the country is poor and isn't pouring lots of money into your economy. The situation isn't going to change anytime soon in China, because nobody cares.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Monkey King

Human rights violations only matter when the country is poor and isn't pouring lots of money into your economy. The situation isn't going to change anytime soon in China, because nobody cares.

Don't you mean out of the economy?
Last I heard, the United States had a pretty sizable trade deficit thanks to China. And while this isn't the thread to debate economics and world trade, I feel that if the US traded less with China and more with other nations then the world economy would be much better for it.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Woo Mercantalism!

16th century colonialism like whaaat.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Devo

Can't let any ideas of a "democracy" or "freedom" get to their people in any way, shape or form, even from some online little shit.

I didn't know such philosophical debate took place in World of Warcraft.



What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It does.

GLBT guild, anybody?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Murdercrow

It does.

GLBT guild, anybody?

Are you yanking my chain? I honestly don't know.

All the more reason for the Chinese government to crackdown on World of Warcraft then. Exposure to such ideas could prove troublesome for them.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I think it's kind of funny that people think you have to have some deep and meaningful discussion about "democracy", "freedom" and "free-market capitalism" to disseminate these ideals.

Players talk about all kinds of shit on WoW. It could be something stupid like the following:

Ayetaekitindapooper: LOL SO I GOT MY IPOD TODAY.
SumdumGai: O RLY? WHAT COLOR, IS IT THAT FRUITY PINK?
uselessdumbshit: HOW MUCH? DOOD PINK IS GAY.
Ayetaekitindapooper: UR MOM IS GAY. ITS BLUE.
Ayetaekitindapooper: $300
uselessdumbshit: NO U. YOU OVERPAID LOL, I CAN GET IT FOR LIKE $200

etc...

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Duo Maxwell

I think it's kind of funny that people think you have to have some deep and meaningful discussion about "democracy", "freedom" and "free-market capitalism" to disseminate these ideals.

You might be surprised. Imagine if you've lived your whole life being told that these were just lies being told by the imperialistic capitalists to control the bourgeoisie. Then such ideals as "freedom" and "democracy" becomes a compelling debate to the open-minded and impressionable people. Typically the youth.

Originally Posted by Duo Maxwell

Players talk about all kinds of shit on WoW. It could be something stupid like the following:

Ayetaekitindapooper: LOL SO I GOT MY IPOD TODAY.
SumdumGai: O RLY? WHAT COLOR, IS IT THAT FRUITY PINK?
uselessdumbshit: HOW MUCH? DOOD PINK IS GAY.
Ayetaekitindapooper: UR MOM IS GAY. ITS BLUE.
Ayetaekitindapooper: $300
uselessdumbshit: NO U. YOU OVERPAID LOL, I CAN GET IT FOR LIKE $200

etc...

That's how I assumed most "debates" went in World of Warcraft.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Devo

More like patriotism. All you need to do is go play a game and be a foreigner and some jackass all gung ho about American nationalism will start giving you crap.

I know just what you mean by that I get it all the time online and it pisses me off, and the worse part is they range anywhere frome 12 to 40. It annoyes the hell out of me but it's not just americans it's other countries as well, I wont deny Canadians do it but still, stoe the crap and have fun playing.
However more on the topic, I think that it is a violation of human rights and such other things similar to that, I mean I dont want someone I've never meet somewhere in the world knoing my name even if I have access to theirs, it just dosent seen right to me. on the other hand Luckee Cookie has a good point It will make thoses little kids think harder about who they mouth off two but it still wont make much of a diffrence, I mean really whose going to fly or go that distance just to kick the shit out of them. down the street maybe but no more then that. and besides thats what the game is for, just kick the shit out of them there it's just as good. but most of the people who mouth off are the players who suck to begin with.

I was speaking idiomatically.

It's not a huge deal. Every attempt to regulate the internet has failed, and this one will as well.

China just has too many people, it cannot maintain an information iron curtain over its nation, and as we can see, with the opening of the nation to the globe, that is starting to cave.

We'll probably see China start adopting more civil and political rights freedoms once it gets its primary concern out of the way - making sure its people have jobs and can actually put food on the table, a difficult task as it is.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Watts

Are you yanking my chain? I honestly don't know.

All the more reason for the Chinese government to crackdown on World of Warcraft then. Exposure to such ideas could prove troublesome for them.

Usually it involves an issue with the game (the GLBT guild reference was to a user that posted an ad in General Chat for a capital for a guild that was "not GLBT-only, but GLBT-friendly," and got a warning for it under Blizzard's harrassment policy. They've removed the warning since and changed their policy to allow such ads, but I think the user refused to renew her account anyway), but they can happen. The only problem is that there's no guarantee of GOOD debate.

FELIPE NO

Forcing people to reveal their real names? I'm all for it and I wish they'd do it here. But for my own reasons.

I'm sick and tired of people who cheat or just play dirty. Knowing that anybody can get their name will make these jackass kids behave.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?