Online Games and Chinese National Identities

Abstract

Cultural industries in the People Republic of China (PRC), from publications to music and the movie business, are often under strict control of the authorities. Political censorship plays a crucial role in reinforcing the state’s hegemonic influence nationally. The sense is that, with its transformative power in defining cultural discourse and shaping national identity, media is always under the radar of the authoritarian state. And yet, new media businesses and online game industries, as emerging but highly profitable sectors, appear to be more difficult to control for two reasons. First, the state was not very involved in the growth of the two industries, and their rapid growth has made them challenging to manage in this later stage. Second, with China’s ambition to extend its soft power overseas and boost its revenue from exports, the state needs to ensure political correctness and profitability at the same time. That said, censored cultural goods may still generate decent profits in the domestic market, which is controlled by the state, but will these products still appeal to overseas consumers and achieve commercial success?