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October 08, 2015

Hong Kong primary school bans mobile game where characters jump off buildings

By Coconuts Hong Kong October 8, 2015 / 12:01 HKT


A Hong Kong primary school has banned a mobile phone game in which players must direct their characters to jump off buildings if they lose.

The deputy principal, surnamed Tse, of Castle Peak Catholic Primary School in Tuen Mun, said the game first came to their attention after complaints from worried parents.

One version of the game, which was apparently made by an Argentinian company in 2011, requires losers of a “rock, paper, scissors” contest to make their character jump off a building and avoid objects on the way down, before finally smashing their heads at the bottom.

The player is then given some handy stats, such as the number of injured body parts and estimated medical costs, before choosing whether or not to play again.

The game is rated “medium” for violence, meaning it is not suitable for children under the age of 12. 

Tse said they have not found children playing the game at school, but urged parents to be vigilant at home.

However, child psychologist Dr. Raymond Tang told Apple Daily that the all-out ban might not be effective as it could arouse curiosity in the children.

Photo: Myriam Tsen-Kung/Coconuts Media

http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2015/10/08/hong-kong-primary-school-bans-mobile-game-where-characters-jump-buildings