China's Minors Face New Limits On Mobile Games In War On Gaming Addiction

New anti-addiction guidelines for minors that set out limits for time and money spent on mobile games have been introduced by China's state censor, following previous calls to curb excessive gaming. PolygamousRanchKid writes: State media published the new rules on Tuesday, which introduced a stricter real-name registration system and, for the first time, an age rating system. The State Administration of Press and Publications (SAPP) guidelines also include limiting gaming to between 8am and 10pm, with no more than 1.5 hours each day -- or three hours on holidays -- and no more than 400 yuan (US$57) to be spent each month on in-game purchases. Gaming analyst Daniel Ahmad said the new rules were in line with expectations as many of the limits already existed in computer games and were being extended to mobile titles. He expected the real-name registration and rating system to have the greatest impact on underage players. "The introduction of a stricter real-name registration and age rating system is certainly new and will have a larger impact given that these systems will be harder for minors to hack or cheat," said Ahmad, who works for gaming consultancy Niko Partners.

Uh....so?

[registrations_suck]

And why should we care?

Re:

[jellomizer]

China has its problems especially compared to western standards. While this Video Game Ban wouldn't fly if it was proposed in the America's or Europe, For China it is mostly a country who doesn't have citizen rights doing something in the idea to protect its citizens.

Sure it may be some additional political rumpling, perhaps as a sneaky way to lower Video Game Imports from America, Japan and South Korea. But for all the thing China does that would demand outrage. Telling its kids they cannot play video ga

Re:

[Kjella]

Have to agree, shouldn't China be doing things like improving its human rights record and not being a bunch of assholes to the Taiwanese, Tibetans, and so on?

You don't think deciding that a 17 year old will have to register with the government to get his or her 1.5 hours of game time (8 AM - 10 PM) is ever so slightly infringing on anyone's freedom? Remember these aren't your parent's limits they're the law, if you hit the limit your quota is used up and the games stop working. Also you can be sure the Chinese government will keep the log forever and bake it into their social credit score somehow. Big Brother is watching and getting bigger every year...

Re:

[Luckyo]

In China, you were already registered with the government. This is a totalitarian system, not a liberal one. You're talking about a train that left the station decades ago.

This is about mandating private (well, not really, but kinda separate from the state to the extent it's possible in Xi's China) corporations apply certain additional controls on their customers. Not about state registration.

Re:

[Luckyo]

I would imagine that timer is going to be very visible in the UI, considering the goal of this particular project.

Re:

[PPH]

They should go outside. Get in shape. Maybe play some Airsoft paramilitary games. That way, when China fields a 10 million man army for the planned amphibious landing behind the West Coast Wall (which the left is kindly preparing for them), they will roll right over us.

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

Ten million men would be shredded before they reached the beach. We have not forgotten Korea.

Re:

[PPH]

But California is already holding the beach. Perhaps we had better deal with that before they invite their allies across the river.

Re:

[Austerity Empowers]

We should definitely, 100% get behind the Chinese government attempt to limit children's access to gaming. This has two major features:
1) Give them someone to hate
2) Give them plenty of free time

This always turns out well.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[sheramil]

And why should we care?

It could set off the next Cultural Revolution.

By definition...

[Anonymous Dotter]

Isn't anything done in unhealthy excess considered to be an addiction? I find it interesting that while mainstream addictions do get attention as needed, it begs to question if China really has a serious game addiction with children, and games, or if this is a bigger ploy to suppress younger generations from games as a whole to shift focus elsewhere.

Re:

[AHuxley]

Re "ploy to suppress younger generations"
The problem is that Western games might have history, fiction and democracy in them.
The other problem is South Korea, Taiwan the real China and Japan make game related content that sells well.
Once attentive Communists quickly get lost in chapters, plots, publications related to a game.. hours of productivity lost per day to dreams about freedom..
Every hour of free time wasted on content from South Korea, Taiwan the real China and Japan is an hour of study lost t

Re:

[Luckyo]

China is drowning in K-pop and K-drama. And most of their mobile games are domestically made.

And their censorship isn't about "freedom". It's primarily about homosexuality and violence, secondarily about overt sexual expression and portrayal of death. Matters of the statehood come a very distant third, though lately that has been amped to the level almost comparable to overt sexual expression and portrayal of death.

Re:

[AHuxley]

Always time to study some Communism after work and take a gov test.. do well or get reported for not doing the required amount of study :)
Or get back to that South Korean publication, game... author...

Obligatory Galaxy Quest misunderstanding

[fahrbot-bot]

China's Minors Face New Limits On Mobile Games In War On Gaming Addiction

But how will they pass the time when on their breaks from digging coal?

Re:

[Admiral Krunch]

China's Minors Face New Limits On Mobile Games In War On Gaming Addiction

But how will they pass the time when on their breaks from digging coal?

Easy, just give them shorter breaks.

Re:

[twocows]

Hahahahahaha...

Breaks!

Nothing is allowed to compete with love of the Sta

[Jarwulf]

Gubmints and societal systems are scared of rivals so it cracks down on anything that begins to compete with it for a large amount of devotion not just rival political and religious philosophies but also stuff like porn and vidya. Other societies do it too in their own way ie hysteria over vidya in the west, though none in such a direct and paranoid manner as the chicoms.

Bread and circuses

[Gabest]

You have to feed and entertain the masses to successfully control them. Chinese don't learn history?

Re:

[alvinrod]

I think China looked south into the Korean Peninsula and have seen that the Kim's have maintained control quite successfully despite a lack of food and entertainment. Then again perhaps the South Koreans find executions by anti-aircraft guns [independent.co.uk] to be so immensely entertaining that they aren't bothered by the lack of food.

Re:

[Luckyo]

South Korean entertainment is pervasive in North Korea. This is well documented at this point. The problem is that in a Stalinist state, people are taught from birth to falsify their views in public and in private and persecute those that hold views similar to their own that are not sanctioned by the state in interest of their own survival.

Because that person you refused to persecute when they demonstrated the slightest deviation from state sanctioned opinion? Probably an informer, and because you failed to

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[AHuxley]

Let them read about the Communist party and then take a digital test if they want computer time...

Curious

[aevan]

In light of reduced playtime and heft limits on the ability to purchase in game, when contrasted against the multitude of games competing for the same players...

...how does this effect Blizzard's hypocritical apology, and their stance on enforcing chinese rules in western markets going forward?

Re:

[Admiral Krunch]

Since the article tells us

Minors make up around 20 per cent of China’s internet users and a smaller percentage of online game players, according to Ahmad.

I'd guess an amount that was a smaller percent than 20.
I'd also guess the older players have more disposable income to waste on games. So I'd estimate it's actually less than that the other guess.

How to cure gaming addiction in China:

[Rick Schumann]

Simple. Stop having a country that's an oppressive shithole for your people to live in, and they won't want to 'escape' into video games so much.

Re:

[Malays Bowman]

"Simple. Stop having a country that's an oppressive shithole for your people to live in, and they won't want to 'escape' into video games so much."

  Right, this never happens in the United States. We also don't have a big drug an alcohol addiction problem among the populace here either. And if somebody becomes an addict, or shoots up his school chums, it's always Rock 'n Roll, comic books, and video games that's at fault. It's always Rock 'n Roll, comic books, and video games.

Re:

[Fred K.]

I see what you did there

Yawn, and life goes on..

[Malays Bowman]

Yeah, the government in China can do just about anything it pleases to it's citizens. This is kind of like reporting that the sun rose this morning.

  Now if they start doing this in the United States, yeah, I'll be very concerned.

Re:

[Admiral Krunch]

This is kind of like reporting that the sun rose this morning.

Shit, missed it again. Too busy playing video games.