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CCTV Anecdotes Reveal Online Games = Sex, Drugs & Murder

CCTV, China's state news channel has taken the implications of online gaming one step further, by directly projecting them as the cause of drug addiction, teen pregnancy and, quite astonishingly, murder. Once more, this news has pushed the emphasis on regulators to control and prevent "offensive" content in games.

The program series that led to the re-awakened awareness is called "A focus on Pornography and Violence in Online Games". The most recent CCTV edition, called "Confession of a Murderer - Focus on Pornography and Violence in Online Games", told the story of a Beijing juvenile prison where one man was serving a life sentence for murder. The reason for his murder: he wanted to obtain virtual equipment in an online game. The report further stated that 80 percent of the crimes committed in this prison were the result of experiences in online gaming acting as an impetus.

At one point, the program showed another inmate with the narrator stating, ""He himself killed five people, and the reason he took the path to crime was addiction to violent online games".

Again I add, this program is just one in a series of "eye-opening" reports concerning various social problems - all apparently 'caused' by online games and behaviour. The majority of people watching, ofcourse, are parents and the reports have targeted other major parental concerns, such as the effect of social networks on childrens' schoolwork and grades. Naturally, this media storm has stirred moral panic amongst many parents.

The reports are the "public service" element within a national government campaign targeted at censoring and controlling the content of online games. As a result, 2009 saw the shutdown of many online games from overseas, as well as strict guidelines for game developers, including details such as, "no lowbrow content - for example monster-hunting - in games".