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Tencent is placing a limit on game time for children in China

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The time for gaming being called a waste of time is long past, but you cannot deny that long-term playing may have negative effects on children. League of Legends owner Tencent is bringing measures to China where accusations about children playing games too long has sparked discussions around the country.

The self-imposed rule isn’t subject to League of Legends only, but prohibits children under the age of 12 from playing the mobile MOBA King of Glory for more than one hour a day and they will not be able to play games at all after 9pm. Children above the age of 12 will be given two hours to play Tencent’s mobile hit King of Glory.

Image result for king of glory game

ECNS broke the news regarding Tencent’s plan, which highlighted parental concern of time spent playing and the amount of money being spent on the game. The game is easily the most popular game in China with millions of users. The plan is to teach children to balance their time instead of spending hours playing games.

“Despite its popularity, Honor of Kings would also exert negative impact on the minors who fail to control themselves and play overtime,” the developer behind the game says. Tencent will also cap the amount of money adolescents can spend in their games.

This somewhat mimics a similar rule passed in South Korea in 2011, known as the “shut down” law which prohibits gamers under the age of 16 from playing between 12AM – 6AM.

Video game addiction is a real issue, even in South Africa, and extreme measures like this will filter down throughout other regions where there is an evident showing of the addiction. South Africa is luckily still relatively new and we’re able to learn from these other regions, for now.

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Last Updated: July 5, 2017

8 Comments

  1. Deceased

    July 6, 2017 at 06:39

    Sure, gaming is an addiction – I’m not here to question that ( as someone who’s happily addicted to games instead of anything else )

    What I am questioning though – is it right for a third-party to place limiters on another human-being?
    Sure the childs’ parents might place restrictions, and it is most definitely expected of them to do so…
    But SHOULD the content-creator ( Tencent ) be allowed to place these restrictions?

    ( My viewpoint from the other perspective below: )

    Reply

    • Deceased

      July 6, 2017 at 06:43

      I also get that parentals aren’t always around to “Monitor/Police” their children, and as such, children with a disposition to getting hooked to the wonderful virtual-world of their choice will “suffer the negative effects”

      So looking at it from that angle, Tencent isn’t wrong – in fact, it’s probably a good thing…

      I just can’t shake the feeling that this is the start of something terrible though 🙁
      ( remembers the feeling I got when I first read of Horse-Armor DLC and shudders )

      Reply

    • Spathi

      July 6, 2017 at 08:05

      I think you mustn’t see this as Tencent placing a limiter on another human being, but rather that they get safeguards in place in their products, to ensure safe usage. Think of it as traction control for games 😀

      Reply

      • miaau

        July 6, 2017 at 08:26

        And this from, if memory serves, a legal mind.

        Nice explanation.

        Reply

  2. miaau

    July 6, 2017 at 08:25

    NANNY STATE

    Why is Great Britain not at the forefront of this type of Health and Safety regulation stuffies? um, a joke, but still….

    Reply

    • HvR

      July 6, 2017 at 09:57

      I’m sure they will be on it as soon as they finished banning butter knives and pointy sticks

      Reply

  3. HvR

    July 6, 2017 at 10:05

    This is not Tencent being forward thinking or socially responsible.

    Chinese communist government controlled media slammed them with heavy criticism that their games promote values going against the Chinese and ruining children’s bodies and minds since it is
    like “opium for the mind”.

    As result there is fears that Chinese government might directly intervene ban the games, put age limit in place which could mean they loose 25% of their player base or forcefully close down Tencent; as result they lost $14billion in its value on the stock markets over night.

    This is one of the ways Tencent is countering any intervention by the Chinese government

    If you are invested in Naspers which was the start up VC funder of Tencent you should be very worried since the majority of Naspers value is tied up in Tencent.

    Reply

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