China has banned 50 computer games - to create "a good environment" for Chinese children.

Games given the thumbs-down include The Sims 2, Manhunt, FIFA 2005, Painkiller: Battle out of Hell, Age of Mythology: The Titans, Battlefield Vietnam, Conflict Vietnam, Vietcong: Fist Alpha and Devastation, local news agency Xinhuanet reported today.

The clampdown centres on pirate copies of the games listed, a sign of the country's greater willingness to protect intellectual property, Beijing said. However, motivation for the ban also comes from China's anti-pornography operation and press-monitoring programme, so it's unlikely that legitimate copies of the games will be permitted, either.

The country is keen to stamp out any content that might have a "negative influence" on Chinese youth, as Xinhuanet puts it (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/26/content_2511068.htm).

Beijing has called upon local administrators to monitor software sellers and come down hard on anyone distributing any of the listed titles. ®

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