The Chinese government incinerated a Kickstarted Call of Cthulhu supplement, The Sassoon Files.

Quote from: Boing BoingJulio writes, "Sons of the Singularity is a small RPG publisher. Last year, they kickstarted The Sassoon Files, a sourcebook for the popular Call of Cthulhu RPG and Trail of Cthulhu RPG. As a lot of publishers, they did the printing in China. The same day that the print was finished, the Chinese Government decided that it was "problematic", so they burned the entire print run. Targeting foreign publications is a first, specially when it seems there wasn't anything problematic (the supplement was based on Shanghai but was respectful and documented carefully). Will this be a new sign of Beijing tightening its iron grip or just a show of bravado with a small publisher used as an example?"

From Yog Sothoth:

QuoteFor many years, various publishers in the Americas and Europe have had their books printed in China as a cost-saving measure (including many in the RPG field). Often the primary downside of this has simply been the time taken for the books to arrive, but it appears there can also be another problem, as the publishers of The Sassoon Files (a Cthulhu-based RPG supplement) have announced that all print copies of their book have been destroyed by the Chinese Government – for unspecified reasons.

The Sassoon Files is a collection of Cthulhu Mythos scenarios and campaign resources set in 1920s Shanghai (for both Call of Cthulhu and Gumshoe systems) and was Kickstarted back in September 2018, raising some $24,000 USD from more than 500 backers. The volume was due to ship from the printers very shortly.

Perhaps having books printed in Asia isn't such a good idea after all.

I think that you'd be okay so long as the game doesn't mention China.

And he did say that they did return his deposit. So - it still sucks and will slow down production, but at least it won't cost him money. (Besides the potentially higher price of a different printer.)

Frankly - it sounds like it sucks even more for the printer than for him, since I doubt that the Chinese government paid them for the destroyed books.

But - I did actually read an article recently about how the censorship has gotten harsher in the last few years in relation to Chinese attempts to make movies for international audiences. (Odd stuff is banned - like any ghosts outside of dreams.)

This could have a major impact if it happens again. Right now its a single incident.

I see it as going one of two ways...

The most likely outcome is that publishers kow-tow to China and start scrubbing their games of anything not state approved.

The other possible, but unlikely outcome is publishers move to more expensive, but less insane, regions to have stuff printed in.

And I can tell you that outcome #1 is the more likely to happen. Anything for the great god $$$.

Quote from: Omega;1080911The most likely outcome is that publishers kow-tow to China and start scrubbing their games of anything not state approved.

Like how we can't have swastikas on our Nazi Cthulu stuff any more, because of the Germans presumably.

Baizuo better hope they don't burn PF2E before it's GenCon release.

Larry Harris' new game War Room (aka The Ultimate Version of Axis & Allies) is being manufactured in China.  They changed some stuff because they thought the PRC might have a problem with the markers for the Chinese forces since they used the Nationalist's flag (ROC/Taiwan).  Larry said they made the decision because they did not want any issues to arise with the government.  He said that production in the US (his first choice) would be at least double the cost of China.  He also alluded to the other censorship in various historical games that has already occurred due to being manufactured in China.  Granted, this is a Big Ass Board Game with lots of components so I would assume book printing isn't as much of a price difference but I am inclined with Omega on this one.

Although it is possible that a company, who is losing enough business because people won't buy stuff that is politically cleansed, might actually make more money on an uncensored product.  I am skeptical about that happening in the current anti-free speech atmosphere.

Quote from: apparition;1080907incinerated

don't make it so easy to godwin!

I understand that most products being produced in China; is a widespread, modern reality.  I also realize that all that money makes a communist nation stronger.  Other than us having cheaper products available for purchase; I fail to see an upside to that.

I feel like everyone forgets that China is a totalitarian communist hellscape.

The PCR has better PR than the Soviet Union ever did.

Quote from: S'mon;1080912Like how we can't have swastikas on our Nazi Cthulu stuff any more, because of the Germans presumably.

Its happened before. Games altered to remove for example Nazi imagry after a game is banned in Germany. Or replacement of Nazi's with Hydra in the Captain America movie. Quite a few games have been altered.

So yeah. It can and is happening.

Probably factor will be if a publisher plans to sell the product in said country too.

Quote from: Omega;1080925Its happened before. Games altered to remove for example Nazi imagry after a game is banned in Germany. Or replacement of Nazi's with Hydra in the Captain America movie. Quite a few games have been altered.

So yeah. It can and is happening.

Probably factor will be if a publisher plans to sell the product in said country too.

The lack of swastikas in Achtung! CTHULU was especially annoying since the art included places they clearly ought to go.

You can't repeat history if it's been removed from the textbooks!

The creators of that supplement should double the offensive content in their next release.

Quote from: Razor 007;1080937The creators of that supplement should double the offensive content in their next release.

With a lot of Winnie the Pooh references.

There is some speculation that the fact that Taiwan is depicted (historically accurate) to be controlled by Japan could have been the problem.