China's state media have again issued a release stating that local governments have closed 1600 Internet cafes between February and August this year. This announcement comes weeks after issuing similar announcements and is seen, by experts, as a warning to both cafe owners and content creators to tone down the level of violence found in Internet games.

"Porn, gambling, violence and similar problems have adversely affected the healthy development of the Internet in China," Zhang Xinjian, deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Culture's market department was quoted as saying.

The statement also says that 100 million yuan worth of fines have been collected for infractions ranging from allowing children to play adult-only games to Internet cafes not having reasonable fire safety standards.

China has over 90 million Internet users, over 50 per cent of whom are under 24.