A new player has stepped up to the plate, and the government is more concerned than ever; mafia based video games. The Chinese authoritarian government has since released a statement via the Ministry of Culture that has banned video games that have any mafia ties or relations. Games like “The Godfather”, and any other games on the Internet that glorify organized crime have all been blacklisted, and “severe punishments” have been put in place, although no one specifically knows what the sanctions are yet.

The government says these games glorify all sorts of anti-social and misanthropic behavior like killing, stealing, and raping. They say that young kids will gain access un-rightfully to these games and excessive playing will distort their perception of right and wrong, and could breed them into homicidal lunatics.

It is ironic though, and the government kind of gave themselves away when they only banned games with organized crime, while leaving any other games with unbridled killing power completely open. They have also recently blocked pornography and other sites with “lewd” content from the public, on the grounds that it is socially corrupting.

Critics say that these sites that have been shut down are ridiculous, and it is completely unfair to give adults these blocks as well. It is one thing to set restrictions on a seventeen or older game for kids, but a thirty year old man should be able to enjoy the content without having his psyche completely warped. Citizens also complain that the keyword censoring system the government has instated blocks out many websites that should not be blocked. Since they block all adult sites, many sexually transmitted disease information sites are also blocked, limiting the public’s knowledge on these subjects.

When online game programmers were questioned about their concern about their companies staying afloat after these harsh blocks, they expressed little concern. They say they can still give the people the violence they want, but without the offending themes; also known as group affiliation. This is good too… as the game industry brings in almost 2.7 billion dollars each year into the Chinese economy, and is growing exponentially by the year.

The Chinese claim that almost ten percent of their youth are addicted to the Internet, a diagnosis they fulfill by skirting social time, schoolwork, and work. Psychologists in the West wonder if these numbers are a bit blown up, but this is the ground the Chinese take for their mafia blacklist.

If these kids still wish to play though, they always could. Using a change IP program or a change IP proxy, they could easily get around the blocks and enjoy their favorite games.