What replaced PUBG Mobile in China could very well be propaganda, but at least it’s wholesome propaganda. Tencent, which seems to have a financial stake in everything we hold and love dearly, ended testing for PUBG in China and replaced it with an eerily similar game, whose title roughly translates into Game For Peace. It is an anti-terrorism themed battle royale with uncanny similarities to PUBG, though with some key differences.
Tencent claims that the game was developed in-house and that it “pays tribute to the blue sky warriors that guard our country’s airspace,” referring to the Chinese Air Force. Basically, it’s patriotism with microtransactions. Though Tencent told Reuters that the two are “very different genres of games,” Chinese players don’t seem to agree. In fact, users on social media website Weibo seemed relieved that this game carried over their progress from PUBG Mobile.
But one difference that sticks out is what happens when a player is defeated in combat—instead of resulting in a bloody corpse, the defeated player instead kneels, surrenders their loot box, and then waves good-bye before disappearing.
They changed PUBG Mobile in China to comply with stricter game violence laws. Now when you ‘kill’ someone they give you a loot box and wave goodbye and honestly it’s just so hilariously wholesome pic.twitter.com/Q5xkrtM0MA
— Svend Joscelyne (@SvendJoscelyne) May 8, 2019
It is bizarre, to say the least, and as funny as it may be, it also reflects on the grip that the Chinese government has on media, including video games. The patriotic edge and the removal of blood appear to be necessities for Tencent to have the battle royale approved for monetization in China, who cracked down on the release of numerous popular video games. While the ban was lifted for many titles, the lift did not include titles from Tencent. Game For Peace, however, does meet the regulatory requirements for monetization.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch could possibly arrive in China, courtesy of Tencent. Word of approval for Tencent to sell the console led to a jump in Nintendo stock. It all seems to be going Tencent’s way for the moment, but don’t be surprised if you see more smiling, waving, and government propaganda for that to continue.
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