A ‘virtual crime wave’ in China’s version of the real-time simulation game Farmville has prompted Chinese officials to ban the ‘theft’ of crops from gamers’ farms — and rename it ‘harvesting’ — in the interests of upholding ‘proper cultural values’.
Chinese youngsters playing the popular online game Happy Farm, where players ‘grow’, ‘harvest’ and ‘sell’ crops, flowers and vegetables on a virtual farm, recently realised that major changes had been made to the game. Where once they could ‘steal’ crops and vegetables from other players’ plots, the function has been reprogrammed to call it ‘harvesting’ or ‘picking’.
The move, implemented by gaming platforms, follows instructions from the ministry of culture to “improve and enhance” the content of online games to promote “proper cultural values”.
The ministry’s instructions didn’t ask for specific changes to the wording, yet nearly every social networking site that featured the game knew what was expected of it, and made amends.
Chinese gamers have taken to mocking the government’s directive, which they say reeks of a ‘nanny state’ mentality that treats people like children. “Great news,” exulted a player, with obvious sarcasm. “The government has effectively legitimised ‘stealing’ by calling it ‘harvesting’.”
Others said the government’s action brought to mind the iconic fictional Chinese character Kong Yiji, who was often thrashed for stealing books but claimed in his defence that he wasn’t “stealing” books, but only “borrowing” them.
The Happy Farm game has become a sort of national obsession, particularly among white-collar workers who obsessively play it even at work. It isn’t uncommon for friends to greet each other with enquiries about their “farms”.
Doctors say the game fills a void in the lives of office workers who are under excessive stress and anxiety from the rush of city life; the game therefore serves as a wish-fulfillment palliative, wherein they dream of living a simple farmyard life.
Comments