Game operators ask for clearer guidance

• Source: Global Times
• [10:56 July 09 2010]
• Comments

Japanese AV star Sola Aoi poses at a press conference for a Chinese online game in Shanghai on June 17. Photo: IC

Online game operators are asking the government to give them specific guidance on which celebrities it deems unsuitable for use in the promotion of games, following a notice issued by the Ministry of Culture this week ordering online game operators to "avoid vulgarity" during their promotions.

The notice was prompted by game operator 9you's use of the controversial "Sister Phoenix" and "Sister Lotus," two Chinese women who found fame online for their misplaced confidence in their looks and abilities, and Sola Aoi, a Japanese adult movie actress, in promoting their products.

The vice president of 9you, Wu Jun, said during an interview with National Business Daily on Wednesday that he hoped the government would release a list of the people it deems unfit to take part in promotions.

The notice also requires game operators to self-censor game content related to sex and violence. However, according to Jiang Qiping, secretary general of the China Center for Informatization Study, the notice can only serve as a guideline, as the online game industry in China is so diverse, it is difficult to cover all possibilities.

Global Times