China has banned the sale of a computer game on the grounds it discredits the national image. State news agency Xinhua said the game was accused of intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army"s image. Project IGI2: Covert Strike features a freelance mercenary stealing intelligence and conducting sabotage in China.
Last year a game which portrayed the country as a base for terrorists caused an outcry among Chinese gamers. Project IGI2 by Oslo-based Innerloop Studios was published by British firm Codemasters about a year ago. The game is a first-person shooter in which a former SAS soldier undertakes a number of covert missions across the world, including China.
These intelligence and sabotage missions have angered the Chinese, on the grounds that they smear the country"s image. Officials said all domestic copies of the game would now be confiscated.