Young fans of anime and comics swarm corridors of the Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Friday. Edmond Tang

HONG KONG: People at the Ani-Com and Games Fair got a chance Friday to try out a brand-new Microsoft computer game designed by Hong Kong undergrads that has a strong anti-drug message.

Microsoft set up an Xbox 360 free-play corner for visitors to the fair to try it out.

A spokesman for the company said at least 100 visitors played the game Friday.

Eric Chan Kin-leong, a second-year major in computer science at the University of Science and Technology, said he spent just three weeks producing the game, along with Suki Wong Sze-ki, a Polytechnic University's student.

Chan said the game will be uploaded to Xbox Live for free download, but will not be commercialized in the near future.

Not far away from the site where people were trying out the game, the principal of Christian Zheng Sheng College Alman Chan Siu-cheuk and several of his students distributed anti-drug leaflets to visitors.

"We also want to tell the young ones that everyone deserves a second chance," Chan said.

After people tried out the new game, they headed off shopping for their favorite collectibles. Not only were there collectables to collect, there were pseudo-models to check out.

Beez, a brand set up by GME, which sells cushions printed with huge color pictures of pseudo-models, drew some of the biggest crowds.

Roy Kwong, the general manager of GME, said cushions with the portrait of teen model Chrissie Chow were the most popular. Her cushions were sold out by early afternoon.

"Please don't regard 'pseudo- models' as a trend. They are just rookies in the model industry, just like new actors and singers," he said.

Microsoft got into the spirit of the occasion by employing pseudo-models as guest performers to promote new products.

"Many people are attracted by the models to try out the new games, hence turning the trial into actual sales," said the firm's senior marketing manager, Anna Chow Sui-nar.

The pseudo-models drew some boos anyway. Most exhibitors however were not disturbed by their presence.

"This is a society of freedom, they are insisting on what they are doing like many of us do, and they are confident with what they are doing. I hope they can persevere and be confident as ever," said multi-cultural artist Craig Au Yeung Ying-chai.

Lisa Hui Kwai-kit, the general manager of Muse Communications, which sells a variety of collectibles, accessories and animation DVDs, said, "I don't mind them being here. We have different target customers and we just do our own business."

(HK Edition 08/01/2009 page1)