Theory: Chinese Gamer Activism Goes Offline

Written by Mary on June 16, 2008 – 4:58 pm -

In 2006, 10,000 Chinese gamers protested at the government office inside the virtual world of The Fantasy of the Journey West due to the perceived presence of a Japanese flag (pictured).

Sociologist Matthew Chew of Hong Kong Baptist University is interested in online and offline activism by Chinese gamers. Game corporations are media businesses in the real-world but function as authoritarian states in the virtual worlds they create. Gamers are real-world middle-class cultural consumers, but grassroot, politically active citizens in the virtual world, notes Chews. Can virtual world gamers become a source of real-world political change?

Chinese gamers have been carrying out numerous forms of real-world and online protests since 2003. In 2004, some gamers went to the office of The9 and it resulted in a violent confrontation with security guards. Sit-in protests are common, as well as lying down pretending to be dead in a straight line along a road. The Moliyo Incident in 2007 involved hundreds of gamers ransacking the publishers office, spraying graffiti and destroying furniture. Grievances include rent seeking activities, mistreatment of virtual property theft, duping problems, termination of individuals gaming accounts, and technical instability (lag, frequent crashes).

The China Internet Network Information Center estimates that 31.8% of China’s 125 million Internet users played online games in 2006.


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Tactic: Using Online Games for Organizing

Written by Mary on January 4, 2008 – 9:48 pm -

Organizer: Ron Paul fan site Revolutioni.st
Purpose of Action: Revolutioni.st organized a march in World of Warcraft, the purpose of which was to raise awareness of the presidential candidacy of Ron Paul.
Organizing Tools: World of Warcraft, web site, YouTube
Outcome: About 150 players attended the march, though the effect on Ron Paul’s candidacy was negligible.
Ease of Replication: Extremely easy if you are already a member of the game. You just need to e-mail your friends in the game and tell them to appear at a certain location at a certain time.


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