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Chinese authorities have banned "gangster" themed online games, saying they distort society's efforts to build a lawful, nonviolent environment.

The Ministry of Culture has prohibited websites in the country from running, publicizing or offering links to online games featuring mafia-like gangs. The Ministry also has threatened "severe punishment" for violators, according to a statement posted on its website Monday.

The decision to ban such games was made because they promote bloodshed and violence by offering players platforms to experience anti-social gangster behavior, such as beating, killing, looting and raping. These experiences are a bad influence on youngsters, the statement said.

Operators are urged to immediately stop running or promoting such games, or face severe punishment.

Ministry authorities are required to strengthen their control over games with such contents on the Internet.

Some gaming companies have already responded.

"We removed 'Godfather' - a free mafia role-play application - from kaixin.com as soon as we saw the statement on the website of Ministry of Culture Monday night," said a spokesperson from Oak Pacific Interactive, which runs the popular social networking website.

The contents of online games in China are required to be approved by the two agencies - the Ministry of Culture and the General Administration of Press and Publication - before the games are allowed to be released to the market, according to regulations on online games.

The company considered "Godfather" to be an "online social networking environment" rather than an online game, so it didn't go through the required approval process of online games, according to the spokesperson.

But a source from the Ministry of Culture told China Daily yesterday that games like "Godfather" should be categorized as online games, and not "online applications."

The users of "Godfather" are not happy about the sudden disappearance of the application.

The customer service message board of kaixin.com has been flooded with complaints about the removal of the application. Some said the website had no respect for the users and asked the administrator why the users were not informed.

Questions:

1. Why have Chinese authorities banned "gangster" themed online games?

2. What game did Oak Pacific Interactive remove from its website kaixin.com?

3. What two agencies must approve online games before they are allowed to be released on the market?

Answers:

1. Because they distort society's efforts to build a lawful, nonviolent environment.

2. “Godfather”.

3. The Ministry of Culture and the General Administration of Press and Publication.

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.