With our kids spending more time indoors, many of them have are using the extra hours to play video games. So much so that in countries such as China, children have become so addicted to the video game world that Beijing has issued new time limits for players under the age of 18.
According to reports by the state media outlet Xinhua, the National Press and Publication Administration (NAAP) has formally issued rules to limit gaming time for teenagers to tackle gaming addiction among them.
The NAAP is China's top watchdog for gaming and other forms of online media.
Video Game Time Limits For Age 18 And Below
A time limit has been set for Chinese video game players under the age of 18. The new rule limits gaming time for them between 8pm and 9pm only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.
This is China's most stringent measure in an effort to combat gaming addiction among youth. According to the South China Morning Post, past rules introduced in 2019 have already limited gaming time for minors to no more than 90 minutes each day with three hours during holidays.
Since the total number of players under 18 only account for a fraction of revenue of Chinese gaming companies, this new rule will only have a limited direct impact on them.
But this could still gradually erode China's player base.
Companies Must Not Allow Video Games Access To Unregistered Players
The notice issued by NAAP states that companies must strictly implement the real-name registration and login system in their games. They should also not provide video games access to those who are unregistered.
On Monday (30 August), the world's largest gaming company Tencent Holdings shared that it supports the new regulation. The gaming unit has also said in its statement that they will implement the new requirements as soon as possible.
A NAAP spokesperson also tells Xinhua, "Many parents have said that the gaming addiction problem among teens and children has gravely affected their ability to learn and study as well as their physical and mental health, even causing a series of societal problems."
NAAP added that gaming companies are the main entities responsible for enabling gaming addiction among children.
Both Tencent and Bilibili have also stated in their recent quarterly reports this month that they have been faithfully implementing the anti-addiction measures required by state authorities. They added that minors are now only a small portion of their overall user base.
It is worth noting that players under 16 years only account for 2.6 per cent of Tencent's gross gaming receipts in China and those under 12 account for 0.3 per cent. Meanwhile, only 1 per cent of minors contribute to Bilibili's gaming revenue.
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