The China Syndrome

[Royas]

I understand the financial reasons for making such changes, but it bothers me a lot that game and movie companies are so willing to cater to one country in the world. While China has a lot of people and is a potentially huge market (once the piracy issue is worked on), it's still one country, and I hate my products being subject to their censorship.

Also, the changes defy my ability to suspend disbelief. I can almost imagine (for example) an invasion by China. They have a lot of manpower, a good tech base and an aggressive history. North Korea though... imagining them invading the USA is rather like imagining a Pomeranian taking on a Rottweiler. The little Pom is going to get eaten, and the Rottweiler is barely going to notice. It's just not believable.

Hollywood caters to the US constantly with their pro American films and games. ever wonder why there's no games about England or Russia saving the world from an American invasion? Companies make what their audience wants/likes, and they like to feel powerful and in the right. No matter who they are.

Well, I feel a bit sheepish now. Never pleasant having one's own hypocrisy pointed out, but there you have it. I really didn't think my first statement through, though I would point out that it would make sense for Hollywood to cater to US sensibilities, given that the studios are almost all US companies. They are really catering to their own in that case. But I do take your point.

I stand by my second paragraph, though. I seriously can't picture North Korea invading the USA, not without getting wiped out as a country within days or weeks.

 

[Netrigan]

Did they ban Fallout then?
Because its all about China going nuts on America and getting involved in a nuclear war.

That's such a tiny part of the game, it might not be considered that big of a deal.

The problem is they aren't sitting still for being made the next Big Bad and have the economic power to make that a reality. And this is a country that has primarily had friendly relations with the U.S. since the 70s. Yeah, there's the odd bit of tension, but no one seems particularly concerned that China might decide to invade its neighbors. So many authors want to treat China as the U.S.S.R. Part II, but our relationship with our credit masters is far more complex and nuanced than a simple Cold War rivalry.

The only thing which is troubling is their ability to cover up their human rights abuses through economic intimidation, but hardly something which should mark them as the next boogie man of popular fiction.

 

[RicoADF]

I understand the financial reasons for making such changes, but it bothers me a lot that game and movie companies are so willing to cater to one country in the world. While China has a lot of people and is a potentially huge market (once the piracy issue is worked on), it's still one country, and I hate my products being subject to their censorship.

Also, the changes defy my ability to suspend disbelief. I can almost imagine (for example) an invasion by China. They have a lot of manpower, a good tech base and an aggressive history. North Korea though... imagining them invading the USA is rather like imagining a Pomeranian taking on a Rottweiler. The little Pom is going to get eaten, and the Rottweiler is barely going to notice. It's just not believable.

Hollywood caters to the US constantly with their pro American films and games. ever wonder why there's no games about England or Russia saving the world from an American invasion? Companies make what their audience wants/likes, and they like to feel powerful and in the right. No matter who they are.

Well, I feel a bit sheepish now. Never pleasant having one's own hypocrisy pointed out, but there you have it. I really didn't think my first statement through, though I would point out that it would make sense for Hollywood to cater to US sensibilities, given that the studios are almost all US companies. They are really catering to their own in that case. But I do take your point.

I stand by my second paragraph, though. I seriously can't picture North Korea invading the USA, not without getting wiped out as a country within days or weeks.

I agree with North Korea having no chance in a real war, they could nuke America perhaps, but invasion no.
I understand why US companies are pro American, I just get sick of it all the time. That's why the origional C&C was so fun to me, its generic UN/NATO vs generic terrorists/religious extremists that are well armed via the black market. No one country is victium or hero, so anyone can play either side.
For the record, I was an Australian GDI commander that saved the world XD

 

[92Sierra]

No, sorry. Not much of a ban in China. I have lived in the mainland (Hangzhou) for six months. They do have PS3s and Wiis there, as well as Call of Duty on the store shelves of large government run stores. Nor is there a real ban on "obscenity." Almost every Chinese web page you click on have ads for what we would call 'hentai' games. If there is a government ban, no one cares.