BBC News : Mercenary PC game upsets Chinese

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.

Big money

This is the second time that a computer game has ruffled feathers in China. Last year, a game by Electronic Arts called Command and Conquer: Generals upset the Chinese.

In the game, a group of international terrorists set up base in China and fired missiles at the capital, Beijing.

Computer games have become a booming industry in China, largely fuelled by the popularity of the internet.

Some 14 million people regularly played online games in China, according to the China Games Publishers Association.

Analysts expect the market for online gaming in China to be worth $356.8m by 2007.