Minestrone

Defend the Diaoyu Islands: how to use gaming for propaganda

If you live in China and have access to Candou marketplace you can download a game called “Defend the Diaoyu Islands”. It seems to be a game like Plants vs Zombies, where the player has to defend his fortress against caricatured soldiers. By looking closely at them you will notice they all bear Japanese flags and insignia.

It’s not a coincidence that this summer most prominent argument on foreign affairs news in Far East was the Senkaku-Diaoyu-Tiaoyutai Islands dispute. It seems that someone in China wants to convey nationalist propaganda to young and tech savvy audiences using digital entertainment, like other governments did in the past using comics and movies.

Using videogames to raise awareness on certain issues it’s the mission of Italian studio Molleindustria: they call themselves as makers of “Radical Games Against the Tyranny of entertainment”. Browsing their catalogue you will find games about war, religion, environment and other issues.

The game was pulled out quickly by the Apple Store because it was against Apple Policy, but I don’t know if it is still available somewhere else.