The Cold War cognition and gratification in Chinese war games: The Chinese version of command & conquer: Red alert 2
Author(s)
Date Issued
2021
Conference
Citation
Zhu, Z. (2021 Nov 13). The Cold War cognition and gratification in Chinese war games: The Chinese version of command & conquer: Red alert 2. Narrating Cold Wars Conference, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
Post-Cold War, the war games produced by many game developers had a Cold War theme; Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is one of the most successful. The Chinese modified version of Red Alert 2 (name The Glory of the Republic) was so popular that nearly every internet bar in mainland China installed it on all of their computers. The
paper will compare the original and Chinese versions of the game to study the context and how it shapes the collective players' ideas. Young players were exposed to the game prior to receiving education about the Cold War, thereby the game shaped their initial views. Red Alert 2 is set against the background of a virtual ‘hot war’ between the US and the USSR and their camp. In the original American version, China is not a selectable country. However, in the Chinese version, China becomes a new power, does not belong to any camp, and is too powerful to maintain the game balance. This paper will argue that this radical idea in the game shows the developer's clear ideal of future China, namely obtaining high-tech weapons from the West, and the sturdy weapons and system from the Soviets and becoming a significant world power. The confrontation between China and the West may have boosted the game's popularity and radically simplified the relationship between China and the West. Chinese policy over the past two decades fit the game's concept very well. Undoubtedly, the Cold War reflected in the modified Chinese
version shaped millions of Chinese gamers' opinions of the Cold War and partially predicted Chinese diplomatic relations. More importantly, it provided an illustration of the role China will play in the post-Cold War political environment.
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