What's What! Video Game Facts (50/365)

Developed by Sports Interactive, distributed by Sega, Football Manager also known as "FM 2005", is a football manager simulator, as technical director, your work is the management of club or teams or association, with just the right amount of detail on players, tactics and transfers and all of the right tools for you to either take control of your favorite top club and lead them to even more glory, or start off unemployed and work your way to the top, the game was released in the UK on November 4, 2004 - closely followed by releases in many other countries around the world.

But 2005 the game was banned in China when it was found that places such as Tibet and Taiwan were included as separate countries. China banned the game because it felt that it threatened its content harmful to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously violating Chinese law. The ministry has ordered culture departments across the country work with public security bureaus, industry and commerce and telecom departments, and publishing units to "investigate, confiscate and punish websites, computer software markets and Internet cafes, who disseminate or sell 'Football Manager 2005.'" According to the circular, places that provide this game will be penalized with a fine up to 30,000 yuan (US$3,600) or cancellation of business license.

Sports Interactive published a statement in reply, reporting that a Chinese version of the game (complete with Taiwan included as part of China) would be released. They also stated that the offending version was not translated into Chinese as it was not supposed to be released in China.

The conflict is due to more than a simple game, for Beijing, the Chinese sovereignty of Tibet is not negotiable, since 1959, China and Tibet compete internationally to legitimize their own interpretation of history. The Chinese Government argues that Tibet lived under the extreme abuse of a feudal system and servitude, and that they were liberated. For its part, the Tibetan government in exile argues that cultural colonization and human rights violations are being suffered in Tibet.