China has banned a computer game because it tarnished the image of the country and its army.

According to state media Project IGI2: Covert Strike - which was created by the Norway-based Innerloop Studios and published by UK-based Codemasters - has broken tough gaming laws because it "hurt China's national dignity and interests". Officials got the hump because part of the game is set in China, from where a mercenary engages in sabotage and shoots at its soldiers.

"The State Press and Publication Administration (SPPA) said the game has violated China's gaming regulations that prohibit introduction and publication of games that hurt China's national dignity and interests," reported Xinhuanet

As a result, Project IGI2: Covert Strike has been accused of "intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army's image" and branded illegal. Anyone caught publishing or distributing the game is in big doo-doo.

A rather bemused spokesman for Codemasters told The Register that the firm has not been contacted by authorities in China. "We don't publish or distribute the game in China," he said. ®

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