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Tighter rules for Net game players
By Zhu Shenshen |
June 22, 2010, Tuesday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
FROM August 1, Chinese game players, one-sixth of the country's population, must use their real identity to register and Internet firms should use technology to prevent underage players from becoming addicted to games, according to a regulatory document obtained by Shanghai Daily today.
The online game management policy, issued by the Ministry of Culture, is China's first complete state-level policy on the cyber game industry, with about 300 million players and over 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) revenue annually.
The policy is expected to clarify industry regulations and boost the whole sector in the long term, said major Chinese game companies including Shanda Games and Giant.
Rules on game content, publication applications and use of virtual money in games will also be strengthened, according to the policy.
"The protection of underaged people is the focus because it has drawn attention in society and among parents and teachers. Of course, we must pay attention to this as the industry regulator," said Liu Qiang, a senior official at the culture ministry.
Game addiction has marred health and study for many students in China. More than 265 million Chinese players were registered to play games by 2009, accounting for 70 percent of total Internet users, according to CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center).
Revenue from games in the first quarter was 7.92 billion yuan, 28.7 percent growth year on year, according to iResearch Inc, a Shanghai-based Internet consulting firm.
Under the new policy, all game firms must register players with their identity card and install an "anti-game addiction system" for underaged players. When the system is installed, teenager players will get only half their game experience points after three hours' consecutive playing and lose their points or virtual weapons after five hours.
Game operators will monitor players aged under 18 and check registration information with police regularly to ensure IDs are not fake, Shanghai Daily learned from a source who declined to be identified.
"We have taken such steps for almost a year and we will continue checking our user accounts in future," said Zhang Peiao, vice president of 5173.com, China's largest game trading platform.
The online game management policy, issued by the Ministry of Culture, is China's first complete state-level policy on the cyber game industry, with about 300 million players and over 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) revenue annually.
The policy is expected to clarify industry regulations and boost the whole sector in the long term, said major Chinese game companies including Shanda Games and Giant.
Rules on game content, publication applications and use of virtual money in games will also be strengthened, according to the policy.
"The protection of underaged people is the focus because it has drawn attention in society and among parents and teachers. Of course, we must pay attention to this as the industry regulator," said Liu Qiang, a senior official at the culture ministry.
Game addiction has marred health and study for many students in China. More than 265 million Chinese players were registered to play games by 2009, accounting for 70 percent of total Internet users, according to CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center).
Revenue from games in the first quarter was 7.92 billion yuan, 28.7 percent growth year on year, according to iResearch Inc, a Shanghai-based Internet consulting firm.
Under the new policy, all game firms must register players with their identity card and install an "anti-game addiction system" for underaged players. When the system is installed, teenager players will get only half their game experience points after three hours' consecutive playing and lose their points or virtual weapons after five hours.
Game operators will monitor players aged under 18 and check registration information with police regularly to ensure IDs are not fake, Shanghai Daily learned from a source who declined to be identified.
"We have taken such steps for almost a year and we will continue checking our user accounts in future," said Zhang Peiao, vice president of 5173.com, China's largest game trading platform.
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