China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) has issued a new Circular about Preventing the Teenagers from Online Game Addictions.
They will control the time and money spent by underage gamers.to prevent Teenagers from getting addicted to video games. Further, a real-name registration system will be created to check the identity of gamers against the national database.
It was estimated about 620 million gamers had brought in as much as $38 billion in revenue (收入) —out of which 60 percent came from mobile games. In the first half of 2018, China accounted for 26.1 percent of global revenues in this industry space.
According to a report last year, there are more than 800 million netizens in China and over 98 percent are smart phone users. Mobile games and PC games are the primary type of products in China's gaming market, and account for 66 percent and 28.5 percent of revenues.
The new measures specifically target youth online gaming. It bans users aged under 18 from playing online games between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. A maximum of three hours per day on weekends and public holidays.
The government is also targeting the profitable parts of online micro transactions (微交易). Gamers aged between 8 and 16 will only be able to add up to RMB 200 ($29) per month into their account. Gamers between 16 and 18 years old will be able to top up a maximum of RMB 400($57).
Regulators will be allowed to check the identity of users with the national database.Users will be required to register their accounts with their real name and phone number.
Commenting on the newest measures, the GAPP says it wants to clean up China's internet space.
A. Video games are harmful for the youth.
B. Some new measures have been proposed.
C. Breakdown on gaming industry is ongoing.
D. A real-name registration system is also in the works.
E. China was the world's largest gaming market in 2018.
F. Teenagers will be able to play for only 1.5 hours on weekdays.
G. It also hopes to protect the physical and mental health of Teenagers.
