Studies have shown that addiction to online games can be detrimental to children and adolescents’ physical and mental development. The National Press and Public Administration (NPPA) announced in August 2021 that the country would be imposing restrictions on online gaming for minors. NPPA said that video game companies would set a 3-hour gaming limit in China, particularly for children below 18 years old. A state media outlet called online games “spiritual opium,” citing from the previous eras when drug addiction was prevalent in the country.
What’s With This 3-Hour Gaming Limit in China?
The new rules are part of the significant move by Beijing to intensify control of its citizens and other sectors of its economy, including technology, education, and real estate. The restrictions which apply to any device might have a massive impact on the worldwide gaming industry. According to Xinhua state news agency, it will limit the young gamers to playing for one hour a day from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Fridays, Saturdays, and public holidays.
With this new set of restrictions, the Chinese government wants to emphasize addiction to online games. According to the NPPA, online gaming harms both minors’ physical and mental health.
The rules from the NPPA regulator concur with the further move by Beijing to clip tech giants’ wings, including Alibaba Group (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) were threatened to curb their ability to trade shares in the United States due to stricter content rules.
With this 3-hour gaming limit in China, game companies will have to control a real-name-based registration system. In 2018, Tencent implemented this system by limiting play time on Honor of Kings, a popular mobile game. Back then, limits were not as strict, though. Kids below 18 could play video games for 1.5 hours on any day and three hours on holidays.
Online Debates About the Issue
The 3-hour gaming limit in China became one of the most discussed on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. Some agreed on the new measures, while others said they were surprised by the sudden announcement of the stricter regulations.
One of the top commenters said that the new set of restrictions is so fierce that left him utterly speechless. Others expressed doubts about how the authorities control the restrictions, saying that the kids will use their parents’ logins.
Gaming Shares Have Plummeted
According to analytics firm Newzoo, the Chinese games market will generate approximately $45.6 billion revenue in 2021, higher than the United States.
The effects of the 3-hour gaming limit in China reverberated around the world. For instance, shares in Amsterdam-listed tech investment firm Prosus (PRX.AS), holding a 29% share in Chinese social media and video games leader Tencent, went down by 1.45%. On the other hand, European online games stocks Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) and Embrace Group (EMBRACb.ST) both dropped by 2%.
Meanwhile, shares of Chinese gaming stocks fell in pre-market trading in the United States, with NetEase going down by 6% while video sharing website Bilibili falling over 3%.
Xinhua News Agency revealed that about 62.5% of Chinese minors play online games, wherein 13.2% play mobile games for over two hours a day on working days. Gaming companies became more anxious about recent criticisms by the state media regarding the so-called gaming addiction among young people. The issue on the 3-day gaming limit in China escalated further as it affected the shares and revenues in the gaming tech market.
Tencent, a publicly-listed multinational conglomerate that published some of the world’s famous video games, later announced new measures. They plan to reduce youngsters’ time and money on games, starting with Honor of Kings. The President of Tencent also said it was working with regulators to look for ways in which the limited time spent by minors on gaming could apply to all gaming titles.
The National Press and Public Administration official told Xinhua that it would increase the frequency and intensity of monitoring of online gaming firms. The aim is to establish the country’s gaming limitations and anti-addiction system. Moreover, NPPA said that parents and teachers have vital roles in reducing online game addiction.
Conclusion
Online gaming is becoming a fad nowadays among the younger generation. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this fast-growing industry? On one side of the coin, experts say that it helps gamers to relax and socialize, improve concentration and analytical skills. If taken seriously, it can be a lucrative career. But on the other side, it is costly, poses security threats, may lead to addiction, and can also cause cyberbullying. Besides, prolonged time spent playing video games can have adverse effects on the physical and emotional well-being of adults and minors alike.
How do these new rules affect video games as a whole? Is the 3-hour gaming limit in China the apparent solution?
Online gaming is mentioned explicitly in the regulation, meaning that individual games won’t be restricted later on. Also, it is not clear whether the new real-name-based registration process will cover console games and foreign games.
It might tempt the young gamers to outwit the limitations by signing up on a foreign server. It is also worthy to note that adult gamers will still play round-the-clock.
Instead of relying on the government to curb the addiction, parents need to step in to limit time spent on games and social media, and the internet as a whole. Parents should pay attention to their kids, especially the minors. There are several ways to encourage them to use their time productively, like cultivating a new hobby or engaging in sports and other extracurricular activities.
