China bans video game trailer due to footage from Tiananmen Square massacre

[Stevicus]

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Trailer Banned in China Due to Tiananmen Square Footage

A teaser for Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War was recently released, ahead of the worldwide reveal scheduled for Aug. 26. Instead of gameplay or a cinematic, the clip was comprised of footage from a wide variety of events from across the globe that took place during the Cold War era. That includes footage from the Tiananmen Square protests in China.

Protesters and troops can be seen clashing in the video in the vicinity of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Despite the fact that the footage appeared in the Call of Duty teaser trailer for less than a second, it drew heavy criticism from netizens in mainland China and was promptly blocked by Chinese authorities. Some detractors argued that the inclusion of the protest footage was evidence of a deliberate attempt to export ideology through the upcoming video game. An edited trailer was later released, which replaced the footage with a blank, black screen, though audio remained.

I think this points up the most glaring weakness in China's government. They can't handle any kind of criticism at all. This means they're ideologically weak and probably losing the hearts and minds of their own people.

It is believed that Chinese authorities are concerned the clip will remind viewers of the period leading up to the Tiananmen Square protest and thus spark complaints and general unrest, owing to similarities between that period and current events, such as the occurrence of natural disasters and a weakening economy.

The Tiananmen Square protest was part of a larger pro-democracy movement that ended with the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989, when armed troops from the People's Liberation Army marched into Tiananmen Square alongside tanks, firing at protesters. The exact death toll has never been released, but is believed to be in the thousands. The Chinese Communist Party-led government has been known to suppress mention of the event -- known within mainland China as the June Fourth Incident -- through strict censorship across the internet, television, film and other forms of media.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Trailer Banned in China Due to Tiananmen Square Footage



I think this points up the most glaring weakness in China's government. They can't handle any kind of criticism at all. This means they're ideologically weak and probably losing the hearts and minds of their own people.

Its communisn. They never had hearts and minds.

 

[Cooky]

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Trailer Banned in China Due to Tiananmen Square Footage



I think this points up the most glaring weakness in China's government. They can't handle any kind of criticism at all. This means they're ideologically weak and probably losing the hearts and minds of their own people.

I hope they felt ashamed when they saw it.

 

[Quintessence]

Its communisn. They never had hearts and minds.

Well, that sounds extremely prejudiced...

 

[Cooky]

Well, that sounds extremely prejudiced...

Do you suppose they banned it out of shame or out of cold-hearted rejection?

...One has to wonder the truth.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I think this points up the most glaring weakness in China's government. They can't handle any kind of criticism at all. This means they're ideologically weak and probably losing the hearts and minds of their own people.

I would like to hear what they think about it. I don't feel that I understand their situation, but I imagine that it is an enormous country in which most cultural beliefs have been disrupted by the existence of new technology. Right behind that it has experienced a surge of new wealth. Not long ago there were huge massacres by a man who many consider the darling of the new age. Perhaps the government is wise to surveil and distrust its citizens? Its so large that its like several countries stuck together, like five young boys sharing a room. If I were the central government there I might feel a little bit paranoid, too.

 

[Quintessence]

I'm amazed that in an age where the United States has a "president" who routinely wields rhetoric as a divisive weapon against their own country that folks still fail to appreciate the power of story and narrative. This isn't to say I necessarily agree with the Chinese approach towards speech, but I see the wisdom in it and it is their rulebook to write.

That, and I will not go to bat for a company like Activision, who is known for tax evasion, exploiting its customers with predatory microtransactions, and is all around a piece of $@%*.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

**** the Chinese government.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Its communisn. They never had hearts and minds.

That's not communism. China is a corrupt authoritarian capitalist country that pretends to have anything to do with communism or socialism. There are no communist countries or governments.

 

[Revoltingest]

That, and I will not go to bat for a company like Activision, who is known for tax evasion, exploiting its customers with predatory microtransactions, and is all around a piece of $@%*.

They managed to pi** off the Chinese government.
That's a feather in their cap.

 

[Stevicus]

Its communisn. They never had hearts and minds.

Many people have argued that China is communist in name only. After all, a lot of American companies do business with China and take advantage of China's supply of cheap labor. For decades, we've been importing Chinese goods and making them quite wealthy in the process. Meanwhile, our trade deficit has gone through the roof. Chinese communists and American capitalists have been in bed with each other a long time, while the common people in both countries get screwed.

 

[Thief]

China passed a law.....it is illegal to speak against China
ANYWHERE

well....gee.....

THAT was stupid

 

[Cooky]

They managed to pi** of the Chinese government.
That's a feather in their cap.

I don't 'get'the Chinese government... They don't even have a religion to bolster their coldheartedness... What causes such phenomenon to occur naturally?

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't 'get'the Chinese government... They don't even have a religion to bolster their coldheartedness... What causes such phenomenon to occur naturally?

People in power want to keep that power.
Censorship is a tool to keep them unaware of problems.

 

[Wu Wei]

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Trailer Banned in China Due to Tiananmen Square Footage



I think this points up the most glaring weakness in China's government. They can't handle any kind of criticism at all. This means they're ideologically weak and probably losing the hearts and minds of their own people.

China is desperately trying to not fulfill the "Mandate of Heaven" (also why they rotate top generals from region to region). They control all media, thereby controlling their population. The views on the world my in-laws in China have, that they get from CCTV and Chinese news papers is vastly different than what we see as going on. So no negative press or images to change the mind of the population.

 

[Stevicus]

I would like to hear what they think about it. I don't feel that I understand their situation, but I imagine that it is an enormous country in which most cultural beliefs have been disrupted by the existence of new technology. Right behind that it has experienced a surge of new wealth. Not long ago there were huge massacres by a man who many consider the darling of the new age. Perhaps the government is wise to surveil and distrust its citizens? Its so large that its like several countries stuck together, like five young boys sharing a room. If I were the central government there I might feel a little bit paranoid, too.

I'm not sure what the exact position of the Chinese government is on this. They don't really say much publicly which gives a very good indication of what their actual thinking is on the inside. They just seem very upset whenever they are criticized.

If they wanted to talk about it or debate it or give their side of the story, then the marketplace of ideas is wide open. But in order to open a dialog, one has to be prepared to listen to things one may not want to hear, which is where China loses, since they can't handle any criticism.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That's not communism. China is a corrupt authoritarian capitalist country that pretends to have anything to do with communism or socialism. There are no communist countries or governments.

I dunno. Every time communism is put into practice, you always end up with country's like the old USSR and China. Btw every country on this planet practices capitalism. The difference is if its the country or its people that separate the distinction as to who benefits from capitalism.

 

[Twilight Hue]

People in power want to keep that power.
Censorship is a tool to keep them unaware of problems.

Looking at our own politicians, you see the insanity and madness as one clings to power like a mastiff aggressively biting down on a bone in its jaws. It won't ever let go of that without a fight.

 

[Cooky]

Looking at our own politicians, you see the insanity and madness as one clings to power like a mastiff holding a bone in its jaws. It won't let go of that without a fight.

I have to wonder why the notion of losing power can't be considered a kind of liberation for those holding power. A release... A long deserved relaxing...

I guess they fail to see the bliss in total freedom of themselves, from the binding chains of power.

 

[Revoltingest]

Looking at our own politicians, you see the insanity and madness as one clings to power like a mastiff aggressively biting down on a bone in its jaws. It won't ever let go of that without a fight.

Heaven help us if they ever get such power of censorship.