NOV. 17, 2009 • Eleven individuals accused of writing Trojan virus code to scam online gamers were sentenced to up to three years by a Chinese court. The group was found guilty of stealing 5.3 million user names and passwords – access that was used to steal virtual goods and currency that were sold to other parties for around 956,000 yuan ($140,000). The group was also fined a total of 833,000 yuan ($122,000). In related news, the Chinese culture ministry issued a statement encouraging online game publishers to reduce the reliance on monster hunting to advance in-game.  The ministry characterized current online titles as having, “adversely influenced consumers and especially the physical and mental health of minors,” and encouraged content providers to self-censor their products, as well as incorporate measure to reduce playing time by children.

Impact: The first impression is that the Chinese government is acting prudishly, yet the reality is that this is another case of the state’s strong motivation is to establish control over new media. Stealing from Westerners was never such a problem, but stealing from millions of fellow Chinese playing games online required a response. Similarly, bureaucrats sees competition in cult-like activities that can grow into larger organizations. If millions of Chinese are going to play games, the government wants to be sure the content is as devoid of potential political symbolism as possible.