From now on, children and youth under the age of 18 in China will only be allowed to play between 8pm and 9pm local time on Fridays and weekends, as well as public holidays.
This is according to Rules It was published by the Chinese government on Monday.
Consequently, young Chinese are not allowed to play for more than three hours a week.
Computer game companies will not be allowed to offer online games to children and young adults outside these times. The authorities also warn that they will tighten oversight of companies so that they do not violate the rules.
In the past, young Chinese had access to online games for three hours on public holidays and an hour and a half on weekdays. These rules were introduced in 2019, according to Reuters.
A woman wears a VR headset in a game hall in Shanghai in 2019. Already in 2016, there were more than 3000 game halls in China.
Photo: Matthew Knight/AFP
compared to opium
Chinese authorities justify the new rules as a way to preserve the physical and mental health of children.
China has long been concerned about gambling addiction among children and young adults. Game consoles like Playstation and Xbox were banned from 2000 to 2014. This led to the development of one Extensive black market for video games.
Chinese state-owned newspaper daily economic information He wrote last week that gambling addiction among children is “pervasive,” comparing online gaming to opium.
The newspaper also criticized video games for their negative impact on vision.
110 million kids play video games in China, and we expect the new restrictions will reduce the amount of time and money they spend on games, says Daniel Ahmed, senior analyst at market analysis firm Niko Partners for CNBC.
Fans cheer for the opening of the Dota 2 computer game World Championships in Shanghai in 2019.
Photo: Str/AFP
Giant in esports
Although China is skeptical of the gaming industry, it is investing heavily in becoming a giant in esports, i.e. competitive gaming.
The ban on game consoles, among other things, made online computer games very popular. Some of these games, like League of LegendsAnd counter strike And dotta Among the most popular esports.
China It also distributes billions of dollars in subsidies To promote the e-sports industry in the country. In January of this year Construction started for a huge esports arena in Shanghai, at a cost of $900 million. Many schools across the country also offer esports education.
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