A teaser for Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War was recently released, ahead of the worldwide reveal scheduled for Aug. 26. Instead of gameplay or a cinematic, the clip was comprised of footage from a wide variety of events from across the globe that took place during the Cold War era. That includes footage from the Tiananmen Square protests in China.
Protesters and troops can be seen clashing in the video in the vicinity of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Despite the fact that the footage appeared in the Call of Duty teaser trailer for less than a second, it drew heavy criticism from netizens in mainland China and was promptly blocked by Chinese authorities. Some detractors argued that the inclusion of the protest footage was evidence of a deliberate attempt to export ideology through the upcoming video game. An edited trailer was later released, which replaced the footage with a blank, black screen, though audio remained.
It is believed that Chinese authorities are concerned the clip will remind viewers of the period leading up to the Tiananmen Square protest and thus spark complaints and general unrest, owing to similarities between that period and current events, such as the occurrence of natural disasters and a weakening economy.
The Tiananmen Square protest was part of a larger pro-democracy movement that ended with the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989, when armed troops from the People's Liberation Army marched into Tiananmen Square alongside tanks, firing at protesters. The exact death toll has never been released, but is believed to be in the thousands. The Chinese Communist Party-led government has been known to suppress mention of the event -- known within mainland China as the June Fourth Incident -- through strict censorship across the internet, television, film and other forms of media.
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War is the sixth instalment in the Black Ops series. Details surrounding the plot and gameplay are scarce, however the teaser revealed that the upcoming game will be inspired by real events. The trailer features real-world footage from a number of conflicts fought between the '60s and '70s, all playing beneath audio from an interview with Soviet defector Yuri Bezmenov, in which the former KGB informant explained the grander strategy of the Soviet regime.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision, Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War is scheduled to be released sometime this year. The worldwide reveal takes place Wednesday, Aug. 26.
(via Apple Daily)