Home Gaming China is now imposing a strict curfew and spending restrictions on video games

China is now imposing a strict curfew and spending restrictions on video games

2 min read
39
No-games-for-you

China! Land of the not so free, way too many dudes after the one-child policy backfired spectacularly thanks to local beliefs and possibly the worst place to be a fan of video games if you’re under the age of 18. The heavy-handed Chinese government may be focused on making covert moves towards reclaiming Hong Kong from the scourge of democracy, but between those brutal displays of power and telling the world that everyone had a fantastic time in Tiananmen Square between April and June 1989, China is also tackling video game addiction.

Their latest decree comes in form of curfews for when minors can play games and how much they’re legally allowed to spend on those products. According to CNN, under 18s will only be allowed 90 minutes of online gaming during a week, with a luxurious indulgence of three hours a day on weekends and public holidays. Under 18s will also be banned from playing online games between 10 PM and 8 AM on a weekday.

Gamers between the age of eight and 16 will also only be allowed around 200 Yuan/ $29 a month to spend on games, while the maximum cap to how much can be spent on a title will be set at 400 Yuan/$57. Which is less than what a new game costs on release day. Even stricter rules are also in the pipeline, with the Chinese government proposing that gamers register for games under their real names and provide “valid identity information” in case they try to sidestep these restrictions by using their parent’s phones and identities to fool the system.

China also wants video game companies to handle some of this responsibility, or risk having their license to operate in the mainland revoked. Parents and teachers will also be tasked with educating children on how to create a healthy online habit, while the government gets to work on overhauling the current age rating system for games.

Speaking to China’s state-owned newspaper Xinhua, a representative from the State Press and Publication Administration explained that while video games are capable of “enriching the people’s spiritual and cultural life”, they’re also able to “affect the physical and mental health and normal learning and life of minors”.

It’s not the first time that China has pointed the finger of blame at video games, with the state recently blaming the entire industry for recent medical woes such as deteriorating eyesight. On the plus side, at least I know exactly which hours to play Fortnite in now, so that I don’t get my digital butt kicked by an entire nation of insanely talented Chinese kids. Thanks, China’s iron fist!

Last Updated: November 7, 2019

39 Comments

  1. Kromas

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    On that note. Happy N7 Day.

    Reply

  2. Kromas

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    On that note. Happy N7 Day.

    Reply

  3. BradeLunner

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    Well this is going to make finishing JRPGs take forever for these kids now

    Reply

  4. BradeLunner

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    Well this is going to make finishing JRPGs take forever for these kids now

    Reply

  5. Humantouch

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    Darryn!!!!

    “On the plus side, at least I know exactly which hours to play Fortnite in now, so that I don’t get my digital butt kicked by an entire nation of insanely talented Chinese kids. Thanks, China’s iron fist!”

    You make us look old with this comment.

    Reply

  6. Humantouch

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    Darryn!!!!

    “On the plus side, at least I know exactly which hours to play Fortnite in now, so that I don’t get my digital butt kicked by an entire nation of insanely talented Chinese kids. Thanks, China’s iron fist!”

    You make us look old with this comment.

    Reply

  7. Admiral Chief

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

    Header win

    Reply

  8. Admiral Chief

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

    Header win

    Reply

  9. Llama In The Rift

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

  10. Llama In The Rift

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

  11. Raptor Rants

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

    I’m not sure how I feel about this.

    On one hand, it should be the responsibility of parents to enforce limitations or lack thereof on their children.

    On the other hand, perhaps enforcing limitations on a social level could be healthy for addiction in gaming. And let’s be honest, as much as video games can’t be blamed for everything that’s wrong in the world, gaming is very addictive.

    It’s such a weird clash of feelings on this. Freedom vs enforcing responsibility.

    But there are so many issues that don’t seem to be addressed. What about pro players? Will they need a license to practice? As they’ll need way more than allocated there.

    There really are some good plus sides to this, but there are also some real negatives when it comes to freedom and all that.

    But perhaps there should be a greater focus on getting parents educated on how to ensure healthy habits in their children rather than government forced rules. I dunno.

    Reply

  12. Raptor Rants

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

    I’m not sure how I feel about this.

    On one hand, it should be the responsibility of parents to enforce limitations or lack thereof on their children.

    On the other hand, perhaps enforcing limitations on a social level could be healthy for addiction in gaming. And let’s be honest, as much as video games can’t be blamed for everything that’s wrong in the world, gaming is very addictive.

    It’s such a weird clash of feelings on this. Freedom vs enforcing responsibility.

    But there are so many issues that don’t seem to be addressed. What about pro players? Will they need a license to practice? As they’ll need way more than allocated there.

    There really are some good plus sides to this, but there are also some real negatives when it comes to freedom and all that.

    But perhaps there should be a greater focus on getting parents educated on how to ensure healthy habits in their children rather than government forced rules. I dunno.

    Reply

  13. Son of Banana Jim

    November 7, 2019 at 22:24

    But, who’s going to farm gold in Wow now? Why are you doing this to us China?

    Reply

  14. BradeLunner

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    Well this is going to make finishing JRPGs take forever for these kids now

    Reply

  15. Kromas

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    On that note. Happy N7 Day.

    Reply

  16. Humantouch

    November 7, 2019 at 16:33

    Darryn!!!!

    “On the plus side, at least I know exactly which hours to play Fortnite in now, so that I don’t get my digital butt kicked by an entire nation of insanely talented Chinese kids. Thanks, China’s iron fist!”

    You make us look old with this comment.

    Reply

  17. Admiral Chief

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

    Header win

    Reply

  18. Llama In The Rift

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

  19. Raptor Rants

    November 7, 2019 at 16:34

    I’m not sure how I feel about this.

    On one hand, it should be the responsibility of parents to enforce limitations or lack thereof on their children.

    On the other hand, perhaps enforcing limitations on a social level could be healthy for addiction in gaming. And let’s be honest, as much as video games can’t be blamed for everything that’s wrong in the world, gaming is very addictive.

    It’s such a weird clash of feelings on this. Freedom vs enforcing responsibility.

    But there are so many issues that don’t seem to be addressed. What about pro players? Will they need a license to practice? As they’ll need way more than allocated there.

    There really are some good plus sides to this, but there are also some real negatives when it comes to freedom and all that.

    But perhaps there should be a greater focus on getting parents educated on how to ensure healthy habits in their children rather than government forced rules. I dunno.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      November 7, 2019 at 16:35

      On the other hand, publishers refused to regulate their greedy monetization so now the Chinese government is doing it for them.

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      November 7, 2019 at 16:35

      On the other hand, publishers refused to regulate their greedy monetization so now the Chinese government is doing it for them.

      Reply

    • Darren Peach

      November 7, 2019 at 16:35

      I struggle to understand how one can entertain the idea of allowing a authoritative external force to dictate how one spends their money. It goes against every fiber of my being.

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      November 7, 2019 at 16:35

      On the other hand, publishers refused to regulate their greedy monetization so now the Chinese government is doing it for them.

      Reply

      • Raptor Rants

        November 7, 2019 at 17:32

        Well rules like this would definitely curb that because with less than $29 a month and a max cap of $57 per game… Monetization curb(ed) stomped.

        Reply

    • Mark Treloar

      November 7, 2019 at 19:04

      Truancy must be high in the Nike sweatshops

      Reply

  20. Weanerdog

    November 7, 2019 at 19:01

    I remember that in World of Tanks a good few years ago, people were complaining about the Chinese prices of premium items on the Chinese server being way less than on the other servers. Wargaming came out and said that it was because they are only allowed to operate the server for certain times a during the day.

    Reply

  21. Son of Banana Jim

    November 7, 2019 at 22:24

    But, who’s going to farm gold in Wow now? Why are you doing this to us China?

    Reply

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