Anti-corruption and online gaming, seemingly unrelated, have been unconventionally linked through the joint efforts of game developers and the Party disciplinary watchdog in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. In July, the Haishu District Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China launched the nation's first-ever anti-corruption computer game--Incorruptible Fighter. The game is designed to win credits by punishing corrupt officials and assisting honest ones. The hero must also work on improving his own moral standards by resisting attempts of bribery, and help build a world where people can live free from the taint of lack of ethics and crippling corruption.

What apparently makes the Incorruptible Fighter unique as a game character hero is the way he is measured as a crime fighter. In this game, it's not about combat skills and endless machine gun fire. This hero is measured by his levels of integrity and morality.

Since it was launched on July 25, more than 7,000 people registered to play in the first week.

Despite its popularity, the game was unexpectedly criticized as a window-dressing project. Critics believe that to exterminate corruption, inspection authorities should devise a mechanism to effectively supervise and curb the abuse of power, and severely punish those who stray from the straight and narrow. A game, entertaining as it may be, is far from enough to resolve this issue, say detractors.

"Government officials should be the ones getting anti-corruption education, not local youngsters," said Yang Jianhua, a sociologist at the Zhejiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. He maintains that an anti-corruption game is at least better than the general theme of blood and guts games that permeate thousands of Internet cafe screens. However, a game is still just a game, according to Yang.

The controversy surrounding Incorruptible Fighter continues to fuel public debate, despite the fact that the operator terminated the use of the game in mid-August without giving any explanation to his actions.

Need more than a game

Cao Lin (china.org.cn): It is true that this cyber game has combined both education and entertaining elements, but the ones being educated are mostly teenage players rather than officials. It is not a low standard of officials that breeds corruption, but inadequate supervision of public power. As long as unchecked power is given, no matter how noble-minded officials are, it's possible they will succumb to temptation.

Players mistakenly believe they can be educated by playing this game. Actually, most of them are more excited by the roles they play in the virtual world, especially mastering the skill of the game, and are less concerned with the point of the game itself.

It may be more effective to teach youngsters how to be good citizens in a society ruled by law, and how to fully use their democratic rights to fight corruption in reality, while staying honest themselves.

Wang Qing (Xinhua Daily): It is noticeable that some government departments have missed the point of the anti-corruption campaign by using resources on irrelevant and trivial matters, such as opening an honest banking account or holding an oath-taking ceremony to "rein in" corrupt officials. Facts prove, nevertheless, these are of no evident help, but rather damage the authority of the discipline inspection and legal system.