This is Glorious Mission Online. An upcoming update for the online first-person shooter allows players to defend the Senkaku Islands (aka “Diaoyu Islands” in China) from Japan.
The ownership of these islands is a hotly contested issue in Asia, with Japan scrambling fighter jets yesterday after Chinese vessels approached the islands.
As South China Morning Post explains, the upcoming content will allow players to fight against the Japanese on the islands, as well as featuring an appearance by the Liaoning, the Chinese navy’s first aircraft carrier.
“The highlight of this update is the ‘Defend the Diaoyu Islands’ scenario,” a press release on the Glorious Mission Online site reads (via SCMP). “Players entering the game will fight alongside Chinese armed forces and use their weapons to tell the Japanese that ‘Japan must return our stolen territory!’”
So far, SCMP reports, the reception to the upcoming map seems mixed in China, with people excited to see the Liaoning, but adding that it wasn’t appropriate to base a map on disputed territory.
“The issue of defending the islands is not a game,” a Chinese gamer wrote online (via SCMP). “We shouldn’t fantasize this sort of thing.”
“I’ll definitely play [the new update] when it comes out,” another Chinese gamer wrote online (via SCMP). “Of course [Glorious Mission Online] is not as good as the Call of Duty series …But then again, this is the only military game sponsored by my own country …So I should support it.”
China has an established genre of patriotic /”red games” that always have the Chinese winning. Then again, so do many other countries, including the U.S.
Chinese online game lets players ‘reclaim and defend the Diaoyu Islands’ [SCMP]
Comments
8 responses to “It’s Kind Of Like Call Of Duty, But With Chinese Nationalism”
This kind of abject stupidity isn’t limited to Chinese nationalists. Kuma\War also happened.
I, personally, draw the line at videogames actually encouraging a real war by fanning tensions. I’m glad some Chinese gamers are uncomfortable with this concept.
“Then again, so do many other countries, including the U.S.”
This, exactly. I get tired of American exceptionalism – yes, even in games.
Yes, fair call, but this is a current affair that could actually lead to a real life war. remember that iraq war game that got banned? If it were real life battle, Japan would smash them on that island because Japan uses American tech like drones, fighters etc.. China still stuck in late 80’s war tech, so Japan wouldn’t even need a single ground soldier.
The Chinese military tech is not as old fashioned as they’d have you believe, and in some cases, is far in advance of Western tech. They also have a very specific focus on knocking out Western technology.
The advances China has made was highlighted in 2007, when a Chinese Song class submarine surfaced undetected in the middle of a US Navy carrier group.
The first the US knew of it, was when they saw the Chinese sub sail past them..
I did hear about that atually. But US air force is far superior if I’m correct and that’s all they would need to take the island at first?
I think you’re right, the US does have an advantage in airpower.
That said, whilst airpower will do a lot to reduce numbers, it cannot hold ground, thus cannot maintain dominance in a territorial dispute.
The only way to hold an area is to have troops on the ground and if the Chinese were to get their infantry there first and dig in, it would be a significant challenge to get them out.
Youre all basing your opinions on press releases and years worth of expectations that have partially been formed from entertainment mediums. Lets just admit that none of us have the data to make an accurate prediction. Few people do, and i doubt they share their knowledge freely.
true, but it’s fun to speculate