China Stringent New Rules for Gamers Under 18.
China has come up with new and stringent regulations which will impose solid limits on children under 18 playing online games.
The announcement was made by China’s National Press which said that children under the age of 18 will be allowed to play online games from 8 pm to 9 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
This means that young gamers will only play the game for three days a week and one hour per day; three hours a week in total.
Moreover, the decision will also require players to register with their original name under the rules. There won’t be any guest mode or ‘experience mode’ of any sort to play the game.
Every online game will have to comply with National Press and Public Administration’s online game anti-addiction real-name verification system. The authority will also increase the “frequency and intensity” of inspections to ensure strict compliance.
The new rules introduced by China on young gamers are highly restrictive, to say the least. It is not just about this particular rule, the regulation in the gaming industry is one of the most highly restrictive in the world in China.
According to a report published by Xinhua, the new rule is placed to counter increasing online gaming addiction among the young population “who are still in the developmental stage physically and mentally, and have poor self-control.”
Before this rule, a sort of similar rule was imposed in 2019 which cut the playing hours to 90 minutes a day during the week and three hours a day on the weekends. The previous rule also required real-name verification but the implementation was faulty.
However, this time the authorities have reiterated that companies not complying with the rules will be dealt with “seriously.”
Whether new rules against minors are justified or not is a debate for another time. The implementation of this system will pose a tough challenge to the companies.
However, tech giants like Tencent have taken lead by introducing a facial recognition system to prove age and identity to play past 10 pm.
Inside Gaming News 24/7 – Reinout te Brake – Games Podcast – Game Consultant – Best Video Gaming News 2021
