China will reportedly ban video games that don’t promote “correct values” and “accurate understanding” of the country’s history and culture, a leaked internal document shows.
That includes a ban on any portrayal of “effeminate males,” the promotion of same-sex relationships, and the showing of characters who have no “clear gender.”
The leaked document comes from a recent training session organized by China’s state-backed gaming association. It addresses Beijing’s new plans to regulate the industry while advising game developers on how to produce content that can be approved for sale in the future.
The document was reviewed by the South China Morning Post and confirmed by several people familiar with the situation.
According to the memo — which was developed to help video game makers understand China’s new approach to future releases — developers are instructed to treat video gaming as a new form of art, one that’s no longer apolitical “pure entertainment.”
“If regulators can’t tell the character’s gender immediately, the setting of the characters could be considered problematic and red flags will be raised,” the memo says.
Similarly, male game characters who wear female clothing could also be pose a problem for regulators.
