Gaming addiction was a hot topic at this year’s National People’s Congress in China, which wrapped up on March 11. President Xi Jinping joined discussions highlighting gaming addiction as a serious mental health concern. This has fueled speculation that Beijing may soon tighten gaming regulations even further.
Xi first brought up the issue during the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the other half of the annual “Two Sessions” political meetings. He discussed youth gaming addiction with representatives from China’s healthcare and education sectors, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Xi described online gaming addiction along with other “dirty and messy things on the internet” as harmful to Chinese teenagers, who are still psychologically immature, according to remarks published by Xinhua.
Lawmakers echoed Xi’s concerns during the sessions, proposing various measures to limit gaming among minors. Some suggested mandatory facial recognition for online games, a feature already implemented by industry giants Tencent and NetEase on some titles. Others called for a rating system for games.
Tencent was an early adopter of facial recognition and real-name registration to curb underage gaming, first rolling it out in the popular Honor of Kings game back in 2018.
More radical voices called for banning celebrities from promoting online games, reducing game advertising, and developing smartphones customized to block gaming for minors.
Liao Xuhua, a gaming analyst at Beijing-based Analysys International, said China’s commitment to tackling gaming addiction is reflected in the newly revised Juvenile Protection Law, expected to take effect in June.
“Relevant departments will soon enforce specific rules targeting gaming addiction,” Liao said. “Alongside gaming regulations, similar rules will apply to other entertainment sectors, especially short video platforms.”
In 2019, China introduced its strictest gaming rules, requiring players to register with real names and ID numbers. The government limits minors’ gaming time to 90 minutes on most weekdays and 180 minutes on holidays. Curfews prevent minors from playing between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Spending limits are also in place. Players under 16 can’t spend more than 200 yuan (about $31) per month, while those aged 16 to 18 are capped at 400 yuan monthly.
However, many young gamers bypass these restrictions by using adult accounts. Some gaming companies even help minors evade national rules by launching their own firewall-bypassing tools.
A popular gaming support tool in China acts like a VPN but only works for specific games. Adults use it to access unapproved games or speed up connections to overseas servers. Minors use it to play titles not subject to China’s strict regulations.
Nearly half of China’s population plays video games, making it the world’s largest gaming market by revenue. According to the government-backed China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, the number of gamers grew 3.7% last year to 665 million, with domestic gaming revenue up 20.7% to 278.7 billion yuan (around $43 billion).
China has a complicated history with gaming. The government famously banned consoles for 15 years starting in 2000, but lax enforcement allowed smuggled consoles to flood the market.
Recently, Chinese authorities have shifted to viewing gaming and esports as powerful economic growth drivers. At the same time, the government has tightened content controls, cracking down on games with unapproved or politically sensitive material.
Facial recognition is expected to be a key tool for enforcing anti-addiction measures. The government may encourage gaming companies to test similar features to help policymakers find solutions. Nationally, China is developing a unified online gaming ID system for players under 18, which could be ready as soon as June.
Source: SCMP
