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China hates skeletons, demands World of Warcraft pwns bones photo

Usually, we here at Destructoid take game censorship very seriously. Sometimes, however, there are such hilariously pathetic examples of it that all one can do is laugh. China is about as 'nanny state' as you can get, but this is ridiculous. For some reason, Chinese authorities have decided that skeletons in World of Warcraft are a threat to their communist utopia and as such, issued a decree that all bones are to be covered with flesh. That's right -- skeletons with skins on, the ultimate paradox. Not only that, but corpses in the game are to be replaced with graves. This is because dead bodies in Warcraft are harmful to the minds of Asians ... somehow. 

China's führer -- sorry, president -- Hu Jintao claims that he wishes to "purify" the Internet in order to promote what he deems a "harmonious society." Throwing terms like that around is pretty damn scary, but the worrying Big Brother ideals are somewhat undermined by the idea that this supposed purity and harmony is going to be achieved by hiding all the pretend skeletons on the internet. Naturally, WoW fans in China aren't happy that their TORRID SKELETAL NUDITY is going to be taken away from them, but what can they do, short of getting out of that awful country? Remember the lesson to be gleaned from all this, kids: In China, the Internet really is serious business.

[Via Kotaku]


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45 comments | showing # 1 to 45

Rosbif's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 16:48
Rosbif
Oh yeah?
FUCK china.
CannibalCalvin 's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 16:54
CannibalCalvin
China does this because they're extremely scared of a revolt or revolution. They figure if they control enough, people won't lash out. Lawl, history shows that never works and its really only a matter of decades before China sees some drastic change.
SeraphX's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 16:56
SeraphX
Seriously Calvin, I really should start believing in God, I mean who else puts these laughably inept leaders in power?
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 16:57
Mxyzptlk
Exposed bones are usually considered NSFW.
Angry Irish's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:01
Angry Irish
Purify the series of tubes with pipe cleaner.
Capt 133t's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:01
Capt 133t

The weird thing is that lately China's economy has been booming because the govt has backed off and allowed more of a free trade system, so why the constant internet censoring?..Man I would hate living there.
the GAMEGOBLIN's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:07
the GAMEGOBLIN
That is just stupid. corpses, I can kinda wrap my head around. But skeletons?!??! Seriously, they need to relax
SeraphX's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:08
SeraphX
I think any type of censoring/banning is a joke, instead of getting around a problem as a culture or country, lets go burn it down!
Edarios's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:10
Edarios
do naked night elves dancing on mailboxes make for a harmonious society?
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:15
Mxyzptlk
The rumors of China's economy boom are greatly exaggerated... the Chinese government is promoting that myth in order to get foreign companies to invest there, but the vast majority of people still live in abject poverty. My cousin and his family lived there for a year, and was invited over by one of his Chinese co-workers to see their new house. This guy was an executive in a large company, and their house still had bare dirt floors. And he was proud of it. Hearing stuff makes my skin crawl. The Chinese government is doing everything in their power to keep it's people repressed. Take a look at the news headlines that come from the Chinese media sometime, it's like bizzaro world.
BahamutZero's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:29
BahamutZero
bWned
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:36
tazarthayoot
God is a 3 foot tall black man named Hans. He makes buttermilk biscuits and sometimes, late at night, you can hear him playing his mandolin as he sweeps his curling court, in the hopes that some great curling team will die in a freak accident so that he can challenge them to a game.

A game...that will not come.
gomeja's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:36
gomeja
Maybe Undead bones taste bad.
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 17:42
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain
ZOMG HOT PELVIS ON PELVIS ACTION VI@GRA CI@LIS

China is hilarious.
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 18:11
MechaMonkey
Maybe they just don't want kids to see anyone with a boner.

*scurries away to escape the anti-pun backlash*
R0xx1t's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 18:14
R0xx1t
Ironic because Buddhism does not deny death. Go go gadget communist regime!
Skeeblar's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 18:45
Skeeblar
Uh...
What?!?!
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 18:49
Mxyzptlk
Did someone say skeletons with skin on?
Skeeblar's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 18:51
Skeeblar
O_o
wow?
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 19:05
Magesx
HIDE THE 4CHAN
Acefowl's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 19:23
Acefowl
I'm gonna chalk this up more to a cultural thing than censorship. Wizards of the Coast's been altering the skeleton art for their China-language Magic: The Gathering cards for years. As quoted from their website:

"We decided to alter the Organ Grinder art in 'post' for two reasons. The main reason is that we sell our product in China and they have requested that we do not show skeletons in our art. It is considered very disrespectful to show human skeletons in their culture."
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 19:28
Mxyzptlk
@ Acefowl:

If it's a cultural thing, why are Chinese WoW players getting upset over the change? This is a decision the Chinese government is making (and has been making for a while, as you said), not the gamers. When the government decides what can or can't be seen by the people, that's censorship.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 19:35
Jim Sterling
And if it's a part of their culture to remove materials on government orders, then it's a culture of censorship. Dressing up the act doesn't change what it is.
Jecrell's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 20:02
Jecrell
Fuck your government culture China. Fuck it hard.
Zoex's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 20:13
Zoex
As long as they keep their people poor and unarmed no revolt will work.

Last time a buncha kids got ran over by tanks.
Andrew5329's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 20:25
Andrew5329
Sucks for Chinese WoW players cause i cant see blizzard removing the scourge as a major plot element from WoW, at least now I wont have the stereotypical Chinese farmer jacking my loot every time i'm in a non guild group.
HammerTiem's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 21:18
HammerTiem
I totally agree with Jim, governments often dress it up as protecting national security, what it should be called is them protecting their own arses, but in china its just taking the piss.

I disagree with all types of censorship but it seams like the British, and the rest of the world for that mater, have grown tired of their freedom.

Non of the above probably makes any sense, im tired its 3:20 am
Skeeblar's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/07/2007 22:42
Skeeblar
There goes the scourge...
They may as well stop the whole thing, as i think they would have to take out the forsaken, as well as the scourge.
Bye-bye plot. (for chinese)
Raymod's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 00:45
Raymod
WOW! "harmonious society." China's Gonna turn out like San Angeles From Demolition Man, but with smog.

"John Spartan you have been fined 200 credits for a violation of the verbal morality act"
tkyy's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 01:15
tkyy
They should have banned all violence games, especially Pacman that eats flesh.

Ban all games, China! ...Except The Sims... Oh, Wait! Sexually Explicit! Fuck You Chinese, no more games for you! Save your time to praise your dictators!
Roryzilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 01:29
Roryzilla
sunami: I think there was one kind of like that, where it was if you don't think god has a sense of humor, go to walmart and just look at people. It might of been carlos mencia, which means it was someone else who is not carlos mencia.
xPRESS's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 03:27
xPRESS
As silly as this sounds, apparently showing corpses and bones is offensive to some cultures that involve Ancestor worship(china apparently).....

SubOrbital's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 04:46
SubOrbital
I would care about this argument if it wasn't China. With the amount of rights abuses there, this is almost par for the course. It's odd and stupid in one. They need to shape up their act before the people revolt in spite of their stupid bones laws.
ckm001's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 09:27
ckm001
It's being censored because skeletons are bad omens and bad luck in Chinese culture. It's cultural taboo, not because the government feels like it. It's the same reason a few years back a Nike commercial that had an NBA player killing a dragon was censored - that is just wrong in Chinese culture and the government received complaints.

There is enough out there to criticize China censorship-wise: this is just retarded and a poor example of somebody not doing 1 minute of research. Can I bury as Inaccurate or Lame?
Rosbif's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 11:38
Rosbif
Yeah well fuck you too, Chinese apologist.
slayer404's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 12:15
slayer404
Culturally offensive? I can understand to some extent if a huge amount of the population complained ... but can you imagine a Chinese person actually complaining to the government about anything? No, I don't think so. This is still about control no matter how you look at it. And the people have none.

As for the economy thing, someone said most of the population are poor, yes, but that has NO reflection on the country's wealth, if it did then it would be real communism instead of the dictatorship masquerading as such they actually have. The country is loaded and getting richer, but almost none of that money is passed on to the people, it's all taken abroad or kept by the government. As bad as Britain and America are, it would be hell to live in China.

Also, Pacman ate ghosts not flesh! Though that's probably offensive in China, you have to respect your dead elders, not eat them.
SniperFodder's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 12:28
SniperFodder
And China just found out about this new fangled game called World of Warcraft?
Dorin's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 14:31
Dorin
It's illegal to show skeletons in China. So, WoW and anyone else that wants to do business there has to basically replace them with ghouls. For example, Wizards of the Coast has been doing this for years > http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/1021
Scandalous's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 16:12
Scandalous
I lol'd
this is just bullox on so many levels
ckm001's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 19:34
ckm001
Shit article, inaccurate. It has nothing to do with the government's 'harmonious society' quote, which is in regards to internet censorship. It has nothing to do with the internet at all. It's a cultural taboo. Submitter should do some research next time
Acefowl's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2007 21:33
Acefowl
THANK you, xPRESS, ckm001, and Dorin!

I noticed no one pointed out that they said no to skeletons, but the blood (Yes, there is blood in WoW) is okay. Still sounds cultural to me considering that.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/09/2007 04:36
Jim Sterling
ckm: That's what the president of China said, you very smug person, you. HE said it was promote haromy and purify the internet, he said nothing about culture. If he'd said something about culture, I would have put it in the article. So take your haughty attitude down a notch, hm? I hate people who sound like Digg users.
PwnDaddy's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/09/2007 09:25
PwnDaddy
Tell them we'll take out the skeletons when the take out the gold farmers.
ckm001's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/10/2007 07:03
ckm001
Jim Sterling: Can you show me a link to where Hu Jintao actually said 'harmonious society' in reference to skeletons specifically? It's a quote he uses all the time in reference to INTERNET censorship in general, and primarily things of a political nature. This skeleton thing has nothing to do with internet censorship, nor anything to do with maintaining a 'harmonious society'. I know that a title like "Skeletons in China: Cultural Taboo based on 5000 year old culture" is much less hilarious than implying they're going to incite country-wide riots, but let's try to have some basis in fact, hm?
ckm001's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/13/2007 23:51
ckm001
No link huh? So this submission was based on what exactly? Grab one news item here, another quote somewhere else, put them together and that's 'news'? Pathetic. Hopefully you'll research your 'articles' better in the future.
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