Battlefield 4 gets banned in China

[Shawn Knight]

The Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China has banned the hit first-person shooter Battlefield 4. Officials claim EA’s game is laced with content that endangers national security according to multiple reports from Chinese websites including China.com and QQ.

The websites point to a notice issued by the Ministry of Culture that declares Battlefield 4 as an illegal video game that aggressively attacks the country’s culture. As per the ban, they demand that all items related to the game – including downloads, patches, raiders and news – be deleted.

Chinese social media website Weibo has since banned all searches for the Chinese translation of Battlefield 4 according to Polygon. When a user searches for the game, they instead receive a message saying that Battlefield 4 search results are not displayed due to relevant laws, regulations and policies. The term “BF4” has not yet been blocked and is being used as a workaround to refer to the title, we’re told.

The ban comes just after the recently launched map pack titled China Rising for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The pack includes four maps that take place across mainland China although the game’s campaign may have also been a source for criticism by the Chinese government.

The single-player story features a Chinese general as the “bad guy” who tries to overthrow the government and get support from the Russians in order to start a war with the US.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/55160-battlefield-4-gets-banned-in-china.html

 

[wastedkill]

Just a word of warning for people from china that dont seem to understand, this is a game not to be taken seriously.

Why is china acting like all their world war tactics are in the game? Did a chinese official help with the fight scenes and military tactics???

Seriously I dont see why china is acting like this its like BF4 tells everyone how china would react in war etc. etc. etc. its pathetic!

 

[Mister_K]

Oh wow phahaah this is hilarious! "touché"

 

[Guest]

Maybe if they would make USA bad guys, then you would understand why China is mad, or whatever country you are from. In real life USA are bad guys.

 

[Mister_K]

Maybe if they would make USA bad guys, then you would understand why China is mad, or whatever country you are from. In real life USA are bad guys.

It's fiction, get over it. However, the whole USA, NATO being the good guys 24/7 is getting rather old, well no, it is old. This is why I gave up on modern FPS games, same **** story wise each year. Can't wait for 'The Division', 'Destiny' and all them "new-gen" games.

 

[ekg84]

Just a word of warning for people from china that dont seen to understand, this is a game not to be taken seriously.

Why is china acting like all their world war tactics are in the game? Did a chinese official help with the fight scenes and military tactics???

Seriously I dont see why china is acting like this its like BF4 tells everyone how china would react in war etc. etc. etc. its pathetic!

What else do you expect from the totalitarian communist country that wants to control every citizen's way of thinking.

Maybe if they would make USA bad guys, then you would understand why China is mad, or whatever country you are from. In real life USA are bad guys.

Pretty ignorant statement here, there are good and bad people/politics in every country. No need to hate.

 

[cliffordcooley]

However, the whole USA, NATO being the good guys 24/7 is getting rather old, well no, it is old.

You can say that again!

Pretty ignorant statement here, there are good and bad people/politics in every country. No need to hate.

Maybe it would be different if that was being voiced within the games.

 

[fimbles]

Politicians must get a never ending supply of stupid.

Regardless of nationality.

 

[oldikes]

Dont get me wrong, I think this ban is stupid too, but this could have easily been avoided. It is possible to use make believe countries as several games do or use countries who just dont care. Russia never cared when we made games portraying them as bad guys.

 

[DanUK]

However, the whole USA, NATO being the good guys 24/7 is getting rather old, well no, it is old.

You can say that again!

Pretty ignorant statement here, there are good and bad people/politics in every country. No need to hate.

Maybe it would be different if that was being voiced within the games.

I guess though the difference is that if these games were made that painted the US/West/whoever in a bad light, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be completely banned in those countries (including complete censorship of all related material).

 

[Burty117]

Russia never cared when we made games portraying them as bad guys.

Yeah, it goes to show how touchy China is.

the whole USA, NATO being the good guys 24/7 is getting rather old, well no, it is old.

Agreed, I would love to see something where you play from another country against the US but of course made out as if your the good guy and the US are the bad guys, instead of playing as the bad guy vs the good guys which has happened in past games.

I still can't believe China are taking it that offensively, next time Dice you probably should use the Japanese, Tokyo would be very interesting!

 

[cliffordcooley]

next time Dice you probably should use the Japanese, Tokyo would be very interesting!

It would only be popular, if it were to be banned from sales within the US. lol

 

[Guest]

It would be far more effective if the Chinese government just banned itself.

 

[GhostRyder]

Yeah, it goes to show how touchy China is.

Agreed, I would love to see something where you play from another country against the US but of course made out as if your the good guy and the US are the bad guys, instead of playing as the bad guy vs the good guys which has happened in past games.

I still can't believe China are taking it that offensively, next time Dice you probably should use the Japanese, Tokyo would be very interesting!

Right on, this is the most stupid ban I have heard of in awhile at least. The fact is that this is a work of fiction and should not be taken seriously. I mean the U.S is shown to be the good guy 99% of the time which could do for a change up at least on good guys versus bad guys system, but even so why should this matter. I mean as people have stated above, the Russians have been portrayed in many games as the bad guys and do they ban the game...NOPE.

This only makes China look overly sensitive and harms their image more than anything.

Also guys, do remember Battlefield 2142, the US were not even in that (In fact I think they were portrayed as being gone period? Or at least they became part of EU forces.) So there are games without the US and without a true bad guy or good guy in the BF series.

@Burty117 Btw, it is time!

 

[Guest]

I guess its a simple problem of realism, would we accept a FPS like the BF series, with its 1 squad that can save the world by taking out a super power single handedly, if they had todays weapons, but names set in a near future, like OTAN and ANIHC, A.S.U, S.A.S .... Yvan eht nioj, Navy Sealions ?

Or , Red n Blue, Green n Yellow. Pink n Magnolia. Taste the rainbow

 

[LNCPapa]

If you guys are looking for games where the US is portrayed as the bad guys then you need to find the games made in countries where the government sees us that way in the first place. There have been several games that have come out in China where the US and Japan are the bad guys - problem is they don't put the same type of budget behind those games and you guys don't want to play them because they aren't AAA. US companies will tend to put more $ behind this type of entertainment resulting in a much wider advertising assault that you guys are forced to receive. Tired of seeing the US as the good guys in video games?... go play a Chinese game that celebrates their military but don't complain if the games don't seem to be quite as good/fun. Until they (or other countries) start seeing video games as a more acceptable form of entertainment and put more money behind it then you won't see AAA titles portraying the US that way.

 

[GeforcerFX]

Well America (and NATO) are always the good guys because that's were 80% of these games sales are generated(in those countries). Most of the time people want to play a country there from and they usually like being the good guys. I am not opposed to a game where we are the bad guys or maybe do the whole dual perspective story line where you have to play as a character form both sides. But if China wants games that show themselves to be the good country (would be hard to do). All they have to do is make the games themselves. But then they would have to raise the ban on video games and then they would have to start paying there workers decent wages so they could afford the game and hardware required to play it unless you want to target the game at the 200 million Chinese who live good lives but then again that's a small market, and those people are usually to busy working to play video games so Isee this game being bomb. Or they could just grow a thicker skin and enjoy there role as a bad *** super power (though portrayed as a bad guy) that is to be feared, in a game that has a multi-million dollar budget (more then they would ever throw at a game) as the Russians have done so many times before.

 

[hahahanoobs]

lol@EA/DICE. Karma is a mofo.

 

[Guest]

You can't expect a game developer to realistically portray their own county as bad guys. Americans are the good guys in almost every game and movie, their society doesn't realize the bad guys (the terrorists) are actually the people running their country (government and corporations). Unfortunately America controls the media, which influences them as well as some foreigners into believing that America is the land of the free. While literally 87% of the world has freedom. The problem is that America is a police state with the illusion of freedom.

 

[Guest]

I love how people taking bad about the U.S. post as guest. I guess they have very little convictions or are afraid. I am just to lazy to create an account for a place that I will never post again. But I will try not to hide behind a vale.
The US has lots of games where they are the bad guys. Some people like to play the bad guys. Look at all the gangster shooters and all the grand thief auto games. We in the U. S. know what bad politics we and and talk crap about them all the time, and do not get shot for it. Look at all the crap Obama had to take (and I do not like his policies ether but as Americans we can cut each others throat and shutdown the government and still, no one has to die for it. So you can talk from anonymity about how evil the U.S. is but the U.S. will still send money and food to those how need it (even if they are our enemies, because we may not like the government of a country but we care about the people). That is because americans are generally nice (even if we are a bit arrogant at times (as if the people of the middle kingdom are not at times). It is OK to be proud of your country and people.

 

[Littleczr]

Wait to the news comes out on Mainstream TV media, ABC, CBS, MSNBC ect. it will rocket sales.

 

[wastedkill]

Wait to the news comes out on Mainstream TV media, ABC, CBS, MSNBC ect. it will rocket sales.

Probably every Non-China Military personal will buy the game to learn china's military tactics and strategical positions, I bet russian and al-qaeda are gonna get it just to learn how they can defeat china xD

 

[Darth Shiv]

next time Dice you probably should use the Japanese, Tokyo would be very interesting!

It would only be popular, if it were to be banned from sales within the US. lol

Deus Ex...

 

[Guest]

EA Games just can't help pissing everyone off. First they are voted most hated company, then their flagship game is banned from China!! I am still waiting for Command & Conquer Generals 2 which will never happen. Last but not least, Origin??? Really EA?? Why can't you just put the games on Steam and make more money and give the customers what they want.

 

[Wendig0]

I can't help but lol at this