Here's How China Is Limiting Children Under The Age Of 12 From Spending Too Much Time Gaming
Chinese video game publisher Tencent, which also owns PUBG Mobile, has just been given access to the country¡¯s national citizen database. They¡¯re expected to use the data for age restrictions on their games, under pressure from the government.
Chinese video game publisher Tencent, which also owns PUBG Mobile, has just been given access to the country's national citizen database.
They're expected to use the data to implement age restrictions on their games, under pressure from the government.
Images courtesy: Reuters
China has long since been attempting to tackle gaming addiction. Last year, after a government mandate, Tencent began implementing restrictions on its most popular game, a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) called 'Honour of Kings'. Players under the age of 18 are limited to just two hours of play a day, while those under 12 are limited to just one hour.
Tencent is the world's biggest game publisher, based in the world's biggest gaming market. So the Chinese government has provided them with access to their national database, in order to help police how much time people spend on their games. This new access will allow Tencent to verify a person's age in real-time when they sign up for an account to play Honour of Kings, so kids can't lie about how old they are in order to play longer.
According to the company, the new restrictions will be implemented in 2019 for all of its most popular games, which likely also includes PUBG mobile. It won't affect you obviously, seeing as you're not registered in China.
This move has been met with criticism in the country though. While some laud the government's efforts to tackle gaming addiction, it also raises the question of players' privacy, not to mention their freedom.
