Where war is a blast

Nine-year-old Zhang Chen charges into the battlefield, carrying a laser gun almost as tall as him. His mission is to locate a bomb placed by terrorists, and defuse it.

Several minutes later, he loses contact with his teammates. In the endless darkness, he keeps crawling forward to find the bomb.

Suddenly, a shadow jumps out from a corner. Without mercy, the figure opens fire at Zhang, riddling his body with bullets from head to toe.

"Where were you guys?" Zhang says as he takes off his bulletproof vest and helmet, complaining to his teammates, who had also been "shot dead" and cleared from the battlefield earlier on.

"We were out of ammo," one of them giggles. "You were so brave."

"Next time, I will beat you," swears Zhang at the "terrorists".

He has just finished a round of a role-play digital war game.

The war game is an original production of Times Majoy, a technology-based entertainment company in Beijing.

The game, which costs Zhang 80 yuan ($11) for two hours of fun, combines all types of wireless technologies: radio, infrared laser light, wireless Internet and Bluetooth.

The laser gun is equipped with an infrared transmitter that sends virtual bullets. Eight sensors with lights embedded in the bulletproof vest and helmet receive the infrared rays. As soon as a shot is fired by the laser gun, the sensors go off, vibrating and sparking. This means, you are "dead".

During the game, each gamer carries a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), in which an interactive system deals with information of missions, maps and teams.

To make the gaming experience more real, the PDA stores a package of virtual items including ammunition, medicine box and even a pacemaker.

Each gamer can check details of feedback from the PDA, which connects a backstage control center through a wireless local area network, including the number of bullets used, who kills whom and when.

The charm of the game lies in its real-life experience and teamwork, Mao Kankan, chief operating manager of Majoy, says.

Mao, 24, a "post-1980s millionaire", recognizes the needs of youngsters.

"The best way to release stress is to have fun with your friends, which can be fulfilled in this digital virtual game," Mao says.

Han, 23, the shadow who "killed" Zhang, says he and his friends find the game exciting since it is a face-to-face experience, interactive and cooperative.

"In this sense, it is better than any video game," Mao says.

This August, after a series of tests, Majoy released an open environment game in Beijing. The game can be played in cafes, bars or practically any corner of the city.

Gamers can use their laptops and cell phones to follow hints of plots designed by Majoy, to join games like treasure hunt, detective stories, romance and adventure.

Gamers who successfully wade through the different scenarios stand a chance to win an award from Majoy.

The City location game provides a wide gaming opportunity for busy white collars to join a pervasive role-playing game, which often demands just a mobile phone.

With support from the Shijingshan District and an enterprise in Beijing, Mao was able to build the site of the digital war game in the Shijingshan Sculpture Park.

"It is a fantasy world built on wireless technology," says Mao.

In recent years, the Chinese government has been encouraging creative ventures such as animation, video games and wireless value-dded services.

However, this industry in China is still at a relatively low level compared to developed countries. The domestic market is largely taken up by imported productions.

This means Mao's generation has the chance to change the "made in China" label to a "created in China" one. And in this, they have technology by their side.

(China Daily 09/18/2007 page20)