Abacus: it is proposed to introduce an age rating system in China

Honor of Kings

This is reported by Abacus with reference to yesterday’s issue of the pro-government newspaper The Beijing News.

According to the publication, the new system will classify games by:

• content type;
• the user verification method;
• the presence of a session time limiter;
• the presence of a spending limiter.

Based on these data, age ratings will be set for games. According to the initiative, depending on the age, various limits on time in the game, various restrictions on spending, as well as mandatory verification by real name, phone number and face (using facial recognition technology) for those under the age of 18 will have to be set.

It is assumed that the ratings will be supervised by the Administration for National Culture and News. Their officials will take over the work of evaluating game content and assigning fines to those companies that do not comply with the rules.

The official purpose of the innovation is good. It is assumed that these measures will protect children and adolescents from possible gambling addiction and related health problems.

At this stage it is only a suggestion. He expressed it Zhu Yongxin, Vice President China Association for the Promotion of Democracy and Vice President of the Chinese Society for Education, the largest academic educational organization in China.

Currently, there is no age rating system at the legislative level in China. However, the largest gaming companies in the country have been independently implementing restrictions for underage players in their products for several years.

For example, in 2019, NetEase introduced a ban on entry from 21.30 to 8.30 for players under the age of 18 in all major games in the country. Also, their daily limit of the game was limited to one hour on weekdays.

In 2018, another large Chinese company, Tencent, conducted a similar measure in its titles. At the same time, she introduced a face recognition system in her main Honor of Kings project.

In other words, the country’s leading companies were preparing in advance for the introduction of ratings. And the proposed initiative, if it comes into force, will not affect them much. But this measure will definitely hit small local, as well as Western teams that want to appear in China.

Also on the topic:

• Tencent will limit the playing time for children to one hour, and for teenagers — twoNetEase introduces a “curfew” in its games
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