Steam
Video game “Revenge against the interests”
The game is being criticized for strengthening the sexist stereotype that women just want to know about money, but there are those who say it’s a warning against love fraud.
“He is more obedient than a dog… Hopefully there will be more of these idiots, ”a woman boasts in a new game that has fueled a debate about sexism in China.
In the Revenge on Gold Diggers game (revenge on self -interest), protagonists are men attracted to relationships by manipulative women Interested only in your money – And the way the player reacts defines the course of the story.
The title led the sales platform sales list Steam a few hours after its release in June, but quickly became the target of controversy. Some criticized him for reinforcing offensive genre stereotypes, while defenders claim that the game alert about love blows.
The criticism was so intense that the next day the creators discreetly renamed the game for anti-fuud simulator (Ancient Emotional Simulator).
Mass Change was not enough to contain the criticism. Hong Kong Mark Hu’s main director of the game has been banned from several Chinese social networks.
The creators claim that they never intended to “aim at women” and that the goal was to promote “an open dialogue about emotional limits and the gray zones of modern relationships.”
Xu Yikun, artist who tested the game and the considered deeply offensiverejects this justification. She accuses creators to follow “a classic business model that profits from creating content that generates controversy and divisions.”
Critics point out that the term “Gold Digger” (self -interested) carries a strong misogynistic burden.
“It’s a label used very often Against women, ”says Xu.“ Sexist jokes and pejorative terms like this have already infiltrated our daily vocabulary. ”
“If you have a rich boyfriend, it’s called a self-interested. If you try to get it, it’s called the self-interested … Sometimes, just accept a drink from someone to make the label come,” he adds.
Some players, however, find exaggerated criticism.
“The game is not saying that all women are Gold Diggers… I don’t see that they are attacking any of the genres,” says Zhuang Mengsheng, 31, who used a pseudonym to talk to the BBC. “Both women and men can be Gold Diggers.”
Still, in the game, All “self -interested” are women. From an innocent -looking digital influencer to an ambitious entrepreneur, they are all portrayed as manipulators who try to convince men to spend money and give gifts.
“Want to know if a man loves you? See how much he spends“Says one of them.
The game has even divided the local press. A newspaper in the province of Hubei, in the center of the country, said the game is “labeling an entire genre as scammers.”
Already Beijing Youth Daily (the official newspaper of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League of China) praised the “creativity” of the work, citing the financial impact of love blows: about 2 billion yuans in 2023, according to data from the National Center to Combat Fraud.
“We need to combat emotional blows as soon as possible,” the newspaper said in the editorial.
Polemic aside, game sales continue to fire. It’s already among the 10 most popular titles From China to PC (computer), surpassing to Black Myth: Wukong (Black Myth: Wukong), considered the most successful Chinese game in history.
“I don’t understand why people are so bothered. If you’re not a self -interested, why would you feel attacked by the game?” Says a 28 -year -old man.
“In fact, I found the game creators very bold. These themes [como fraudes emocionais] yet are little discussed in China.”
Some people on the internet suggested that the game was inspired by the real story of a Chinese man known online as Fat Cat (Gordo Cat), who committed suicide last year after the end of a relationship.
His death generated an intense discussion on social networks, where the term Gold Digger was widely used, with some accusing his ex-girlfriend of exploiting him, leading him to take his own life. Police dismissed these accusations.
Women who talked to the BBC showed concern that the game reinforce problematic gender norms In China – a society where women are expected to stay at home, while men are seen as the main providers.
Therefore, for many women, marrying well has always been seen as more important than achieving professional success.
The official speech of the Chinese Communist Party, dominated by men, reinforces this view – President XI Jinping has repeatedly stated that women should embrace their roles as “Good wives and mothers“.
The government has also repressed an increasing number of activists who defend gender equality.
“I feel like a game like this only feeds hostility Between men and women, ”says a woman who preferred not to identify herself for fear of online attacks.
“Once again, he portrays women as the inferior genre, who needs to find ways to please men to ensure their livelihood.”
