Reversed Front: Bonfire: Hong Kong bans ‘seditious’ mobile game
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Hong Kong police say Reversed Front: Bonfire mobile game promotes revolution
Hong Kong police allege a mobile game application advocates armed revolution and promotes secessionist agendas. They say those who publish it or share it with others online risk violating national security laws. Their announcement on Tuesday was the first time they had publicly denounced a gaming app. It also indicates authorities are widening the crackdown launched after anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019. The game’s website says it “is a work of non-fiction”, adding: “Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional” It is not the first video game with a “protest or activist dimension” to fall foul of authorities, according to Chinese Digital Games Research Association president Hugh Davies. He said most video game activism was from “good-hearted” and “patriotic Chinese young people, wanting the ability to express themselves” The game may have inadvertently boosted its popularity in a phenomenon known as the Streand effect, where singer Barbara Streisand tried to suppress the public view of her mansion.
Their announcement on Tuesday was the first time they had publicly denounced a gaming app.
It also indicates authorities are widening the crackdown launched after anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019.
Authorities have crushed or silenced many dissenting voices through prosecutions under the 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing and a similar, homegrown law enacted last year.
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In a statement, police warned residents against downloading the Reversed Front: Bonfire application, saying those with the app installed on their phones might be seen as possessing a publication with seditious intent.
They also warned people against providing financial assistance to the application developer, including by making in-app purchases.
“Reversed Front: Bonfire was released under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as ‘Taiwan independence’ and ‘Hong Kong independence’, advocating armed revolution and the overthrow of the fundamental system of the People’s Republic of China,” police said.
The game application was developed by ESC Taiwan, which did not immediately respond to Associated Press’s request for comment.
On the application’s Facebook page, the developer posted about a surge in searches for the game’s name and a Hong Kong broadcaster’s news report about Tuesday’s development.
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Umbrella Movement included mass demonstrations that demanded elections independent of China. (AP: Kin Cheung)
According to the application’s introduction, players can assume the role of Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghur, Taiwan or Cathaysian Rebel factions, among others, to overthrow the communist regime. They may also choose to lead the communists to defeat all enemies.
The game’s website says it “is a work of non-fiction”, adding: “Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional.”
This type of statement, a reversal of a common disclaimer used to distance content from real events, is “extraordinarily rare”, according to Swinburne University’s game and interactivity course director, Steven Conway.
“Most game developers historically want to distance themselves in very obvious ways, in very loud ways,” he said.
“They will say games have nothing to do with politics.”
But Dr Conway said the developer’s name, ESC Taiwan, ESC referring to escape, indicated the company’s political approach “from the games they’re releasing, to the very formation of the company”.
On Tuesday night, the app was still available on Apple’s App Store but not on the Google Play store. The game publisher last month said Google Play took the app down because the game did not prohibit users from adopting hateful language in naming.
Apple, Google and Meta have not immediately commented on the matter.
Players can play as the People’s Republic of China or other factions within the game. (Reuters: Bobby Yip)
Win the game, win the debate
Reversed Front: Bonfire is not the first video game with a “protest or activist dimension” to fall foul of authorities, according to Chinese Digital Games Research Association president Hugh Davies.
“Pretty swiftly, they’re either banned or people are discouraged from using them,” he said.
“During the 2019 protest movement in Hong Kong, there was a whole range of video games that were released.”
Dr Davies’ 2022 research paper, The Revolution will not be Gamified, details how activists have used video games over the past two decades to organise protests across Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.
And while most video game activism was from “good-hearted” and “patriotic Chinese young people, wanting the ability to express themselves”, Dr Davies said some games “absolutely have the potential to incite revolution”.
“China recognises more than most other countries the cultural and ideological power of video games,” he said.
“And this is one of the reasons that they have such robust regulatory mechanisms.
“This idea that entertainment products or cultural products have the potential to sow division within a society, even if they’re done in jest, is quite often looked down upon by government forces.”
Hong Kong police says the game promotes dissent and secessionist agendas. (Reuters: Lucy Nicholson)
Crackdown may boost game’s popularity
Efforts to suppress the game may have inadvertently boosted its popularity, in a phenomenon known as the Streisand effect.
The effect refers to a 2003 incident where US singer Barbara Streisand tried to get a photo of her cliff-top mansion removed from an online document about coastal erosion.
Her complaints ended up drawing attention to the photograph, encouraging members of the public to view whether they were interested in erosion or not.
Dr Conway said Reversed Front: Bonfire was already attracting many more reviews, both positive and negative, since Hong Kong’s intervention.
“The Streisand effect is in full force here,” he said.
“I’ll be keen to see how this plays out over the next few days because I think it’s really just started to gather momentum.”
Dr Conway said while there was an argument that bans or special ratings should be applied to games with overtly sexual or violent material, he was opposed to bans based on political stances.
Steven Conway says technological advances and low barriers of entry are making it harder for governments to regulate digital media. (Supplied: Steven Conway)
However, any government’s ability to regulate games is becoming increasingly difficult due to the high volume of content being generated.
“We’ve democratised a lot of tools for production and distribution. I can jump on my MacBook and make a video game and then distribute it. That was unheard of 20 years ago,” he said.
“The amount of content generated is overwhelming, just like trying to moderate TikTok.”
Gamer disputes authorities’ characterisation of app
Kuo Hao Fu in Taiwan, who played the game for about three months, said it used a humorous approach to describe serious political issues.
He disagreed with the police accusations, saying players could also choose to be part of the force representing China.
“The Hong Kong police’s actions demonstrate how Hong Kong’s democratic freedoms have been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
“When even this level cannot be tolerated, it completely destroys creative freedom in gaming.”
China considers Taiwan its own territory that it can bring under control by force if necessary.
Many Taiwanese in the self-ruled island expressed concerns about Hong Kong’s declining freedoms under Beijing’s grip.
The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insisted the city’s national security laws were necessary to return stability to the city following the protests.
AP/ABC
Hong Kong Government Prohibits ‘Seditious’ Mobile Game Amidst Rising Censorship Concerns
Hong Kong authorities have issued a warning to residents regarding the mobile game “Reversed Front: Bonfire” The game allows players to engage in activities aimed at overthrowing the communist regime. Police stated that downloading or sharing the game could lead to punishment under national security laws. This development highlights the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, particularly following the pro-democracy protests of 2019. The game’s creators have responded positively to the ban, claiming that it has introduced their product to a wider audience in the city. However, the controversy surrounding the game has inadvertently increased its visibility, making it the most searched term on Google among Hong Kong residents on Wednesday.
Game Features and Controversial Themes
“Reversed Front: Bonfire” presents players with the option to “pledge allegiance” to various groups, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, and the Uyghurs, with the goal of challenging the Communist Party of China. The game’s website describes it as a “work of non-fiction,” explicitly stating that any resemblance to real entities or policies is intentional. Additionally, players can choose to play as communists, fighting against enemies while supporting the communist revolution. This duality in gameplay has raised concerns among authorities, who view the game as a vehicle for promoting secessionist agendas.
Police Warnings and Legal Implications
In a statement released on Tuesday, police cautioned that individuals who download the game could be seen as possessing material with seditious intent. They urged anyone who has already downloaded the app to uninstall it immediately and warned against providing financial support to its developer, ESC Taiwan. The police emphasized that the game was designed to promote ideas such as “Taiwan independence” and “Hong Kong independence,” which are viewed as threats under the national security law imposed by China in 2020.
Impact of the Ban and Public Reaction
Following the police warning, “Reversed Front: Bonfire” was removed from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store in Hong Kong. However, the controversy surrounding the game has inadvertently increased its visibility, making it the most searched term on Google among Hong Kong residents on Wednesday. The game’s creators have responded positively to the ban, claiming that it has introduced their product to a wider audience in the city.
Background on National Security Law
The national security law, enacted in response to the massive pro-democracy protests of 2019, criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Critics argue that the law effectively stifles dissent and undermines the “one country, two systems” principle, which was intended to grant Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy. Prominent pro-democracy figures, such as media mogul Jimmy Lai and activist Joshua Wong, have faced charges or imprisonment under this law. While Beijing asserts that the law is essential for maintaining stability, many believe it has eroded the freedoms promised to Hong Kong residents.
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Mobile game advocating Hong Kong independence disappears from Apple’s App Store
Reversed Front: Bonfire, a war-themed game developed by ESC Taiwan and launched in April, did not appear in search results on Wednesday. Hong Kong police warned residents against downloading the application, saying those who did would risk breaking the city’s national security laws.
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Reversed Front: Bonfire, a war-themed game developed by ESC Taiwan and launched in April, did not appear in search results on Wednesday, despite being available for download on the store the previous day.
On Tuesday evening, Hong Kong police warned residents against downloading the application, saying those who did would risk breaking the city’s national security laws for possessing a seditious publication.
Authorities invoked a section of the implementation rules under the Beijing-imposed national security law, allowing police to order relevant electronic platforms to remove access to the game.
Police have warned against downloading mobile game application “Reversed Front: Bonfire”, which advocates Hong Kong and Taiwan independence. Photo: Handout
According to a check by the Post on Tuesday, the Google Play Store suspended access to download the mobile game.