Cyberwars Of The World

This is a translation of a column in the print edition of Sing Tao (August 2, 2005, p. A24).

August 15 is the 60th anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japan.  From a month ago, there have been various commemorative activities that have fanned the nationalistic sentiments of the Chinese people on fire.

In recent years, following the rapid economic development of China, the nationalistic sentiments of the Chinese people have also risen to historical heights.

These nationalistic sentiments display themselves not only when China comes into conflict with other countries such as the United States and Japan, but they also command respect when they manifest themselves in the virtual world.

Last year, an American game titled Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault became one of the most popular games in China.  This game replays the blood war history between the United States and the Japanese during the second World War.  Many of the game players say something like: "Never mind the screens and the sound effects.  When you take the machine gun and spray fire on the little Japanese until they get ripped to pieces, that is what is called 'cool'!"

Apart from these 'competitions' between China and Japan/United States, the Chinese netizens also have an Internet game known as "Magical Sword (魔剑)."  The Chinese netizens have engaged with Korean netizens in several 'bloody battles.'  This game was originally designed by some Americans.  Last year, on an international server, an alliance of Chinese players defeated the alliance of Korean players, thus ousting them from virtual existence.  Later, a Korean company obtained the rights from the Americans and built a special edition for the Chinese players only.  The alliance of Chinese players was then dissolved.

But more recently, the players from China and Korea engaged in another full-scale 'war'.

This time, the battlefield was in front of the China City formed by dozens of Chinese players.  This city was besieged by an alliance of Korean players.  The Koreans have played this game longer and therefore have good 'battle endurance.'  The China City was about to fall into their hands, when the defenders issued an SOS appeal.

At this point, an astonishing phenomenon occurred.  Hordes of supporters showed up like tides and most of their names were appended by .cn!  They were all Chinese.

In the end, the Koreans were repelled.  According to the computer tally, more than one hundred Koreans 'died' in front of the gates of China City, but they killed at least 2,000 Chinese defenders and their supporters.  Most of the reinforcements had low 'battle skills' and they fought like as if they were suicide squads.

After the win, the Chinese defenders thanked these unknown reinforcements and found out that not all of these Chinese people came from China.  There were some from Singapore, Malaysia, United States and Canada, but they all said that they were Chinese.

There was one supporting battalion of about 200 persons, but only 9 of them survived in the end.  They told the Chinese defenders: "We are from Taiwan and this is the sum total of all the fighters that we can offer.  When you have problems, we will come to help for sure because we are brothers!"

The CN Alliance

The Corea Alliance

Battlefield.  The poles represent graves of fallen fighters.

Additional links (in Chinese): ZOL 魔剑韩服血腥一片 中韩玩家上演对决; Those Who Dare: Cybernationalism and the almighty Zerg Rush