Support NeoGAF

[IfuckinghateReddit]

Genshin Impact censors "Taiwan" and "Hong Kong"

Genshin Impact censors a number of words, including Taiwan and Hong Kong.

www.eurogamer.net

Genshin Impact censors a number of words, including Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The issue was brought to light by journalist Kazuma Hashimoto, who published a video on Twitter showing how the free-to-download Breath of the Wild-esque PC, PlayStation 4 and mobile game censors Taiwan and Hong Kong within its chat.

Here is a clip I just recorded. Just in case if this changes for whatever reason here is recorded proof. The entire word "Kong" has been censored in Genshin Impact. pic.twitter.com/JCWjOEUBaf

In 2003, China's Ministry of Culture decreed the word Taiwan falls within the scope of "endangering the unity of the nation, sovereignty or territorial integrity".

In April 2020, Eurogamer reported on how the Chinese authorities had attempted to block the sale of Nintendo Switch exclusive Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the country's version of eBay because the game was being used by Hong Kong protesters and others to create politically sensitive user-generated content.

Genshin Impact is from Chinese developer miHoYo, and as such must comply with the country's laws and regulations that govern video game content. As Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad states, all Chinese games censor phrases such as Taiwan and Hong Kong in order to comply with a list of banned words that cannot be used in game or via chat.

Chinese developed games have to comply with a ton of content and in game censorship rules because of these laws and regulations

There is a list of banned words that cannot be used in game / via chat functions

Foreign developers also need to comply when publishing games in China

Western developers are used to altering their games in order to comply with these regulations - you can't release a game in China without doing so. But western developers rarely censor such phrases in their "home" versions. Geshin Impact is rare in that it is a Chinese-developed video game that has enjoyed breakout global success. In fact, according to analysts, Genshin Impact is the biggest Chinese global video game hit ever.

The obvious solution would be for miHoYo to create a global version of Genshin Impact that does not include such censorship, but as Ahmad points out, "it's not always that simple for Chinese devs specifically."

— Kazuma Hashimoto (@JusticeKazzy_)October 6, 2020
According to PC Gamer, Genshin Impact also censors the words Putin, Hitler, Stalin and Falun Gong.

 

[Spukc]

Okidoki

 

[RoadHazard]

China sucks.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Hard pass.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

A Chinese developed game censoring the mention of HK or Taiwan. I’m shocked!

I boycott China as best as I can. It’s pretty much impossible though these days when it comes to things like my phone.

 

[Enzo88]

A Chinese developed game censoring the mention of HK or Taiwan. I’m shocked!

I boycott China as best as I can. It’s pretty much impossible though these days when it comes to things like my phone.

Same, trying to boycott Chinese brands, but they are involved in the manufacturing of most tech products regardless.

 

[tillbot8]

Never ever forgot that when your favourite developer, TV network, movie franchise, social media company and sport's team were getting on their hands and knees for BLM they turned their back on REAL INJUSTICE AND PERSECUTION in Hong Kong. Never Forget!

 

[jigglet]

I boycott China as best as I can. It’s pretty much impossible though these days when it comes to things like my phone.

One can still be pragmatic about it. Support brands owned by companies from allied nations to your own. It might be made in china but at least a bigger cut goes to a country that isn’t hostile to yours. You can’t realistically cut off china but you can make sure a larger percentage of the money is directed elsewhere.

there’s also the question of data sovereignty. There’s much less chance of your data with an android or Apple phone making its way over there than say if you bought a huawei device.

I don’t think you should simply say “oh it’s all made in china anyway let’s just give up and accept total defeat”.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

One can still be pragmatic about it. Support brands owned by companies from allied nations to your own. It might be made in china but at least a bigger cut goes to a country that isn’t hostile to yours. You can’t realistically cut off china but you can make sure a larger percentage of the money is directed elsewhere.

there’s also the question of data sovereignty. There’s much less chance of your data with an android or Apple phone making its way over there than say if you bought a huawei device.

I don’t think you should simply say “oh it’s all made in china anyway let’s just give up and accept total defeat”.

Let me be clear. I don’t buy Chinese brands. I was referring to made in China.

 

[mikefrails]

Free Palestine, Free Tibet

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Disgusting.

 

[jigglet]

Let me be clear. I don’t buy Chinese brands. I was referring to made in China.

good on you I’m the same. I don’t even buy locally made products that are owned by Chinese companies now.

 

[IfuckinghateReddit]

A Chinese developed game censoring the mention of HK or Taiwan. I’m shocked!

I boycott China as best as I can. It’s pretty much impossible though these days when it comes to things like my phone.

Yeah but it's easier to boycott their software.

 

[HawarMiran]

China Numba Wan. When will you accept guys?

 

[crozier]

As soon as I finish my platinum I'm done with this game.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Lame and awful. Not surprised though.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

I don't care about Taiwan or HK. I don't care if saying that doesn't get me good karma here, which apparently is Reddit. All I know is I'm having fun so far and that is all that matters.





FUCK YEAH, AMERICA!

 

[IfuckinghateReddit]

I don't care about Taiwan or HK. I don't care if saying that doesn't get me good karma here, which apparently is Reddit. All I know is I'm having fun so far and that is all that matters.

FUCK YEAH, AMERICA!

Move to China, fuckhead.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Move to China, fuckhead.

A company in China censors words that can get their ONLINE only game pulled oh wow how could they?

How about you stop buying games that get outsourced there? Oh right you can't fuckwad.

Also

No, I'm not moving to fucking China unless nush , invites me over.

 

[j0hnnix]

seems to have censored Xbox as well.

 

[nush]

A company in China censors words that can get their ONLINE only game pulled oh wow how could they?

How about you stop buying games that get outsourced there? Oh right you can't fuckwad.

Also

No, I'm not moving to fucking China unless nush , invites me over.

Come on over bro, I've got two spare bedrooms in the penthouse, GAF, Xbox Live, PSN still work. It's all good.

 

[lefty1117]

oh well not going to play it

 

[supernova8]

Vast majority of people are not going to spend their time trying to type Hong Kong or Taiwan into the chat so I doubt this will be a big issue.

 

[IfuckinghateReddit]

A company in China censors words that can get their ONLINE only game pulled oh wow how could they?

How about you stop buying games that get outsourced there? Oh right you can't fuckwad.

Maybe not, but that's beyond our control, and companies are starting to react.

But you sure can easily not download a FTP game with censorship, fuckface.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Maybe not, but that's beyond our control, and companies are starting to react.

But you sure can easily not download a FTP game with censorship, fuckface.

Right, let me drop a game I'm enjoying because two words that have nothing to do with me are censored.

Outrage culture is the dumbest shit ever, people easily talk big about morals and shit but when push comes to shove they'll go back to looking at their electronics's screens that are as you guessed it

I'll live by not being able to type Taiwan and Honk Kong in a goddamn gacha ya fuckwit, however you can keep being mad over this abhorrent censorship.

 

[Jaruru]

Hard pass. Not gonna waste my money nor time on this shxt.

 

[IfuckinghateReddit]

Right, let me drop a game I'm enjoying because two words that have nothing to do with me are censored.

Outrage culture is the dumbest shit ever, people easily talk big about morals and shit but when push comes to shove they'll go back to looking at their electronics's screens that are as you guessed it

I'll live by not being able to type Taiwan and Honk Kong in a goddamn gacha ya fuckwit, however you can keep being mad over this abhorrent censorship.

Good to know you have no morals.

 

[Sakura]

The game looks kinda shitty either way.

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

Good to know you have no morals.

 

[IfuckinghateReddit]

 

[Lethal01]

I don't care if Johnny fucks kids and owns slaves, as long as he keeps selling good burgers I will always support him.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Good to know you have no morals.

You need to go back to reddit. But before that be sure to get rid of all your Chinese manufactured goods. Come on now lad don't be a hypocrite.

Report me for trolling MS/Xbox threads > 07/02

It takes a special kind of person to compare a company blocking the use of a countries name to slavery. Plus a food fucking analogy to top it all off.

Be sure to donate all your china outsourced games, electronics, clothes and vehicles to those that need it. Brave warrior.

 

[GymWolf]

Don't care, played this thing for 1 hour and nuclearized from my hard disk after that.

 

[Zenaku]

What about Xinnie the Poo?

 

[mcz117chief]

A Chinese game has to respect Chinese law to get released… what did you expect? The game is fire though and there are plenty of Chinese devs which are talented and I enjoy their games a lot. I understand that they live in a terrible country but think of it this way. Tetris is a SOVIET game, a game made in a country that slaughtered dozens of millions of its own people and dozens of millions of people abroad and yet I hear exactly fucking nothing about boycotting Tetris, so shove your double standards you-know-where and kindly let me play a Chinese game. This isn't a case where a Western dev or filmmaker caves in to Chinese propaganda laws to get a few more bucks but a literal Chinese development team, living in China abiding by (shitty) Chinese laws, it is sad but it is what it is.

 

[GymWolf]

A Chinese game has to respect Chinese law to get released… what did you expect? The game is fire though and there are plenty of Chinese devs which are talented and I enjoy their games a lot. I understand that they live in a terrible country but think of it this way. Tetris is a SOVIET game, a game made in a country that slaughtered dozens of millions of its own people and dozens of millions of people abroad and yet I hear exactly fucking nothing about boycotting Tetris, so shove your double standards you-know-where and kindly let me play a Chinese game. This isn't a case where a Western dev or filmmaker caves in to Chinese propaganda laws to get a few more bucks but a literal Chinese development team, living in China abiding by (shitty) Chinese laws, it is sad but it is what it is.

What exactly is fire in that game? The total rip off of zelda botw? The incredibly annoying gatcha system? The hideous design of the enemies??

Explain to me where the game excel, maybe i'm gonna force myself to give it a second chance.

 

[Kenpachii]

It's a gache game anyway

It's there to whale your wallet.

 

[Kenpachii]

What exactly is fire in that game? The total rip off of zelda botw? The incredibly annoying gatcha system? The hideous design of the enemies??

Explain to me where the game excel, maybe i'm gonna force myself to give it a second chance.

Exactly what i was thinking, game is straight up trash. It's designed for ultra weebs i guess that want to see little kids in maid outfits that act like adults.

 

[GymWolf]

Exactly what i was thinking, game is straight up trash.

Try the game by yourself, we are not all the same dude.

 

[mcz117chief]

What exactly is fire in that game? The total rip off of zelda botw? The incredibly annoying gatcha system? The hideous design of the enemies??

Explain to me where the game excel, maybe i'm gonna force myself to give it a second chance.

I love the "Zelda design", the bright colors, relaxing music, grass flowing in the wind, blue skies and clouds, the feeling of freedom as you can climb practically everything, easy yet fun and engaging combat, varied characters, fantastically spread content so you always feel like you are doing something, gorgeous vistas that really take your breath away, fun uncomplicated story, fantastic random NPC dialogues, clever and engaging level and open-world design, adorable/professional voice acting from practically everyone I have met, fun and funny sidequests. So far, the game has for me been flawless. I can't think of a single criticism. I personally have no issue with the gashapon system or the enemy design (it looks appropriate).

 

[martino]

Try the game by yourself, we are not all the same dude.

i tried it and the gacha systems jumped to my face
too present too soon for my taste.

 

[GymWolf]

I love the "Zelda design", the bright colors, relaxing music, grass flowing in the wind, blue skies and clouds, the feeling of freedom as you can climb practically everything, easy yet fun and engaging combat, varied characters, fantastically spread content so you always feel like you are doing something, gorgeous vistas that really take your breath away, fun uncomplicated story, fantastic random NPC dialogues, clever and engaging level and open-world design, adorable/professional voice acting from practically everyone I have met, fun and funny sidequests. So far, the game has for me been flawless. I can't think of a single criticism. I personally have no issue with the gashapon system or the enemy design (it looks appropriate).

Oh ok, i don't care for most of these thing like i didn't cared on zelda botw, i was expecting some secret aspect of the game that i didn't experienced yet...

Thanks anyway.

 

[mcz117chief]

Oh ok, i don't care for most of these thing like i didn't cared on zelda botw, i was expecting some secret aspect of the game that i didn't experienced yet...

Thanks anyway.

I never played Zelda myself since the theme doesn't appeal to me but this game is different enough for me to really REALLY like. My personal GOTY honestly, can't think of anything this year that comes close.

i tried it and the gacha systems jumped to my face
too present too soon for my taste.

You had better not touch mobile games, bro. There you are asked to "top up" before you even start playing.

 

[martino]

I never played Zelda myself since the theme doesn't appeal to me but this game is different enough for me to really REALLY like. My personal GOTY honestly, can't think of anything this year that comes close.



You had better not touch mobile games, bro. There you are asked to "top up" before you even start playing.

i did and get fed up . i tried some of them for enough time to see gacha systems stack over time.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

What exactly is fire in that game? The total rip off of zelda botw? The incredibly annoying gatcha system? The hideous design of the enemies??

Explain to me where the game excel, maybe i'm gonna force myself to give it a second chance.

The game isn't for you and that is ok.

 

[mcz117chief]

i did and get fed up . i them some of them for enough time to see gacha systems stack over time.

Most mobile games today have absolutely ridiculous monetization systems. Games like Azur Lane are a rare exception. Genshin Impact is definitely NOT in the camp of bad micros, but it isn't nearly as generous as Azur Lane and I can understand why. In Azur Lane you are buying 2d sprites with minimalistic animations and a few lines of voice acting. Here you are getting 3D characters with considerably more voice acting, tons of animations both generic (climbing, walking, running etc.) and specific (special abilities, attacks, etc.).

 

[Kokoloko85]

Im guessing China?
If it fuck them and fuck the game too.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Most mobile games today have absolutely ridiculous monetization systems. Games like Azur Lane are a rare exception. Genshin Impact is definitely NOT in the camp of bad micros, but it isn't nearly as generous as Azur Lane and I can understand why. In Azur Lane you are buying 2d sprites with minimalistic animations and a few lines of voice acting. Here you are getting 3D characters with considerably more voice acting, tons of animations both generic (climbing, walking, running etc.) and specific (special abilities, attacks, etc.).

The 5 star character rates are 0.06 or something. Which are horrible even for a gacha. I'm a F2P gamer when it comes to gachas so as a non whale getting a full tree of 5 star characters is but a pipe dream. The difference here is that this is a game you can control and beat based on skill so it gets a semi-pass. You CAN play this game for free you'll just have to do things at a slower pace. Also I do not know why the starting town/country is the most boring one in the entire game compared to not-China and not-Japan. I can see why people that don't play these types of games easily dismissed this just as a "zelda" clone before they got the good looking scenery and better character moments. They missed a game that has actual books to read, unique npc dialogue and actual puzzles. But that's also because people see this single player game as a MMO so eh.

 

[martino]

Most mobile games today have absolutely ridiculous monetization systems. Games like Azur Lane are a rare exception. Genshin Impact is definitely NOT in the camp of bad micros, but it isn't nearly as generous as Azur Lane and I can understand why. In Azur Lane you are buying 2d sprites with minimalistic animations and a few lines of voice acting. Here you are getting 3D characters with considerably more voice acting, tons of animations both generic (climbing, walking, running etc.) and specific (special abilities, attacks, etc.).

Not really an excuse to rely so much on gacha systems imo
you can be a f2p with less horrible systems everywhere handling your progression (poe, warframe)
but let's not derail the thread.
We are just two different audience with different opinion and expectations (and sadly for me I'm a dying dinosaur)

 

[GymWolf]

I never played Zelda myself since the theme doesn't appeal to me but this game is different enough for me to really REALLY like. My personal GOTY honestly, can't think of anything this year that comes close.



You had better not touch mobile games, bro. There you are asked to "top up" before you even start playing.

How can you possibly love this game and not botw?? It's the lack of anime stuff or good combat??