http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,173807,00.html

US computer game angers Chinese players

BEIJING – A US-made computer game has sparked an outcry among players in China because it portrays the country as a terrorist base, and gamers can even destroy Tiananmen Square in a simulated scene.

The computer game, called Generals, was the third in the popular Command and Conquer series, the Sing Tao Daily reported.

According to the website of EA Games, the company that designed the game, Generals is set in the year 2020.

In the game, a group of international terrorists set up base in China where they purchase tanks, planes and missiles in order to form the ‘Global People’s Liberation Army’.

However, because of the threat they pose to world security, the Chinese government in the game plans to take them out, resulting in retaliatory attacks by the terrorists.

The game then portrays how the Global People’s Liberation Army fires missiles at Beijing. Players can also reduce Tiananmen Square to rubble by bombing it, and they can also target Europe or the United States.

Although the game is not in stores in China, pirated copies have reached its shores. Players can also download it from the Internet.

One irate player said: ‘It is an insult to China for players to be able to bomb Tiananmen Square at the press of a button. The image of Tiananmen Square cannot be sullied. We will not allow foreigners to treat this as a joke!’