China bans sex and violence in video game advertising

Leading up to the release of THQ's Saints Row 2 in the fall of 2008, open-world crime-related gaming aficionados everywhere were inundated with ads featuring adult film superstar Tera Patrick,scantily clad and holding a massive machine gun. A few months later, THQ released DLC for Saints Row 2 featuring Ms. Patrick, as a playable character - no, not in the role that you're thinking, but as a microbiologist that formerly worked for Ultor, the game's villainous corporate foe.

Suffice it to say, everyone knows that sex sells, violence sells, and videogames with sex and violence sell - you need look no further than the hugely popular and profitable Grand Theft Auto series. Unsurprisingly, developers and marketers everywhere have been exploiting the sex and violence connection when advertising video games, including in China. As reported by BBC, various video game producers have used women embroiled in sex scandals or employed in the pornography industry to promote their products in China. For example, Shou Shou - a model who became famous after her sex videos were posted on the internet - was asked to promote a RPG. Apparently, a Japanese adult video star has also helped publicise another game - Warrior OL.

It would appear that China's Ministry of Culture has had enough of these practices. Beginning August 1, 2010, local officials will have the authority to force website owners to remove what is called vulgar content in online game promotions. According to AFP, the regulations will "require online game companies to self-censor and users who want to play a game to go through a registration process with a valid identity card."

It remains to be seen whether requiring identity cards to game online, self-censorship by video game developers and enforcement will have the intended effect of purging sex and violence from video game advertising in China. It is also unclear whether the new regulations are broad enough to capture what is very likely the most offensive video game ad out there: the World of Warcraft commercial featuring Mr. T yelling about his in-game Mohawk Grenade.