China claims to have solved the problem of its young people’s addiction to video games, which it had been battling for several years.
Since 2019, the country has cracked down by imposing multiple restrictions meant to keep teens away from playing video games. According to Beijing, they suffered from a real addiction to gambling, an addiction which could well be only a bad memory for the regime. The regulator of Chinese online game publishing has just announced that it has solved the problem.
Strict Chinese regulations produce “ remarkable results »
In a report published by the most important video game organization in the Middle Kingdom, the China Game Industry Group Committee, which is moreover affiliated with the local online gaming regulator, we learn that the measures taken in recent years to slow down the practice seem to have borne fruit.
A first sign tended to show a slowdown in the practice of video games in China. A few days ago, we learned that for the first time in 20 years, the market had seen its turnover decline (by 2.5%, to $45.4 billion over the year). The number of players has thus increased from 706 to 701.8 million since 2021.
The report goes even further and reveals that more than 75% of young Chinese players now play less than 3 hours per week, a regulatory limit imposed last year. He salutes the Chinese video game publishers and companies (including Tencent, NetEase and Perfect World) who have obtained “ remarkable results “.
Game time limited to 3 hours per week for under 18s
To combat gambling addiction among its young people, Beijing has launched a sweeping regulatory crackdown on the sector. For this, the institution imposed from 2019 the obligation to inform its true identity and its date of birth before the use of any online game. Minors were prohibited from playing between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. On weekdays, playing time was restricted to 1.5 hours a day, and 3 hours a day on weekends. A limit of money that can be spent each month in games has also been introduced, set at 36 euros of content for those under 16 and at 72 euros for 16-18 year olds.
The regime has also put pressure on publishers and developers. He asked them to remove all aspects of their games that could contribute to generating addiction.
In September 2021, the fight against video game addiction reached new heights with the introduction of a weekly play time of only 3 hours, with one hour on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as well as holidays . This new limit, strict and still in force, concerns players under the age of 18.
Sources: The echoes, Reuters
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