ChinaJoy, the country's biggest online game convention, is less for video games and more for something else: ladies in skimpy outfits.
They're called "spicy girls", and that's exactly what they're supposed to add to the show—spice. This year, that is changing.
Earlier this year, there were reports that ChinaJoy was getting hard on spicy girl regulations, forcing exhibitors to dial back the short skirts and ample cleavage.
"The length of my dress is longer than before," spicy girl Zhou told Shanghai Daily (via Reuters). According to Shanghai Daily, ChinaJoy's new policy bans costumes that reveal over two-thirds of a spicy girl's back and also prohibit logos or stickers on "sensitive positions".
(4Gamer)
In the past, game adverts were placed on women's chests.
This move to tone down ChinaJoy comes as the country began cracking down on the use of sex in online game advertisements last summer, even issuing a notice that allows local officials to force game companies to delete content in online game promotions that is deemed inappropriate. The stipulation not only bans the use of sex, but also gambling and violence in game promotion.
It isn't only the length of the skirts that ChinaJoy organizers should be worried about. In the past, some ChinaJoy spicy girls have worn skin tight nearly see-thru shorts that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.
"To be honest, I came here largely for spicy girls."
China isn't alone in booth companion crackdowns. In 2007, the E3 gaming expo actually banned booth babes. They finally made their return for the 2009 E3, and by this year's show, they were as provocative as ever.
"To be honest, I came here largely for spicy girls," Xaiver Du told Shanghai Daily. "I'm satisfied with the female models for this year's ChinaJoy... I care more about them rather than only sexy clothing."
This year's ChinaJoy runs from July 29 to July 31.
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(Top photo: 4Gamer)
You can contact Brian Ashcraft, the author of this post, at bashcraft@kotaku.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.