From EastSouthWestNorth: This is a translation of a column in the print edition of Sing Tao (August 2, 2005, p. A24).
August 15 is the 60th anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japan. From a month ago, there have been various commemorative activities that have fanned the nationalistic sentiments of the Chinese people on fire.
In recent years, following the rapid economic development of China, the nationalistic sentiments of the Chinese people have also risen to historical heights.
These nationalistic sentiments display themselves not only when China comes into conflict with other countries such as the United States and Japan, but they also command respect when they manifest themselves in the virtual world.
Last year, an American game titled Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault became one of the most popular games in China. This game replays the blood war history between the United Staes and the Japanese during the second World War. Many of the game players say something like: “Never mind their screens and the sound effects. When you take the machine gun and spray fire on the little Japanese until they get ripped to pieces, that is what is called ‘cool’!”
Apart from these ‘competitions’ between China and Japan/United States, the Chinese netizens also have an Internet game known as “Magical Sword.” The Chinese netizens have engaged with Korean netizens in several ‘bloody battle.s’ This game was originally designed by some Americans. Last year, on an international serve, an alliance of Chinese players defeated the alliance of Korean players, thus ousting them from virtual existence. Later, a Korean company obtained the rights from the Americans and uilt a special edition for the Chinese players only. The alliance of Chinese players was then dissolved.
But more recently, the players from China and Korea engaged in another full-scale ‘war’.
