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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.

China New Rules For Gamers Under 18

China New Rules For Gamers Under 18

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.”

China New Rules For Gamers Under 18

China New Rules For Gamers Under 18

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.

Reinout te Brake

In a career spanning across 20+ years, Reinout te Brake has raised over 100+ Million Euros in Fundraising for a diversity of companies and has worked with several venture capitals firms. Helping gaming companies expand their brand reach, get the right story telling and make an impact on a global scale. Reinout te Brake has had the honor to counsel some of the major gaming companies operating on a global scale. For the last 12 years, he has devoted his major focus towards the niche of gaming consultancy to provide his insight and expertise to help gaming companies reach outstanding financial and business results.