The authorities in #China have today announced that for, anyone under 18 years old, they’re to be limited to playing online games to only 3 hours a week! Plus only these 3 hours: 8 til 9 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There will be Chinese teenagers flipping out right now!
This, apparently, will be enforced in #China by making gamers use real name registration and require face scans.
It’s been announced that there will be inspections of game companies in conjunction with #China’s new 3 hours per week limit on gaming for those under 18. There had previously been limits but now there are only three specific hours per week in which youths can play games.
So, from now on, if you want to know precisely what every 15 year old in #China is doing at 8pm on Friday night. Now you do.
The National Press and Publication Administration made the announcement said to be in response to concern re gaming addiction in #China. Regulators said gaming companies must ensure they’re using real name verification to stop those under 18 gaming outside those specific 3 hours.
At least one parent of a teenager working in our office actually cheered out aloud at this news when we heard it. You still can’t wipe the smile off her face. 😉
It is unclear how foreign gaming companies might be regulated to make them also follow these rules when Chinese kids and teenagers play their games or even if there will be an attempt to make them? Either way, just three specific gaming hours in #China per week! Wow!
I wonder if other counties might consider restrictions following #China’s new 3 hour gaming limit for kids and teens? BTW VPNs won’t necessarily come to the rescue of kids here unless they want to play foreign games (which they might do now)? Could hurt China’s gaming companies.
For those asking how it can be enforced, gaming companies will be made to require real name registration with official IDs. Some will use face scanning as extra security. They won’t want to get busted allowing minors to game outside the official 3 hours b/c they’d be shut down.
One work around would seem to be to get a VPN and play overseas games. For this reason #China’s gaming companies will be spitting chips that their under 18 gamers can only play from 8 til 9pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights.(BTW not sure how many teenagers had VPNs before this?)
