It was recently reported that Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 3 will receive a remake. Notably, development of the upcoming project is being handed to Shanghai-based developer Virtuos, for a game that will likely be banned in China itself.
Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of several video game IPs that are being revived. The developer in question was initially unknown. It was reported only that the company was based in China, shortly before Virtuos was revealed to be the developer. What makes the move significant is that the majority of games within the franchise, including the original Metal Gear Solid 3, were banned in China. Moreover, the Chinese government has placed increasingly tight regulations on both gamers and video game developers.
Violence across all forms of media, including video games, have generally been met with varying levels of censorship in China. The recently introduced guidelines from the Chinese state’s gaming association stipulate that developers should avoid historical settings or creating games that closely resemble Japanese games. This may result in the Metal Gear Solid remake either being heavily controlled or censored throughout development or outright banned from the Chinese market upon release.
It is also worth noting that the Metal Gear Solid series has been readily available in the special administrative region of Hong Kong in the past, though that may change soon through the territory’s widely-applied national security law. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) has suggested imposing limits on gaming time and demanding real-name registration to curb local teenagers’ growing addiction to video games, reflecting the restrictions mainland China placed on minors in recent months. They are no longer allowed to play for more than one hour on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Although these restrictions come at a time when the Chinese Communist Party-ruled government has imposed similar guidelines across all forms of media and entertainment, video games in particular have been a contentious subject. Consoles such as the PlayStation and Xbox were banned from sale until as recently as 2013, when the ban was lifted. Still, a wide collection of titles are still prohibited from entering the market. These include Fortnite, Battlefield 4 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Virtuos was established in 2004 in Shanghai. The company now has several offices across South East Asia and Europe. The company has been involved in major titles such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation Remastered, Jurassic World Evolution, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and many more via outsourcing.
Source: VGC
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