China has “solved” the problem of video game addiction among young people, says a report written in collaboration with China’s gaming industry committee, a year after Beijing limited the number of hours teenagers can play. .
China is the world’s largest video game market, but the industry, dubbed a “spiritual opiate” by state media, is, like technology, the victim of regulatory restrictions.
As of September 2021, those under the age of 18 can only play online between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during school hours.
As a result, “more than 75% of minors play less than three hours a week, and gaming addiction has been mostly resolved,” according to the report released Monday by the China Gaming Industry Committee. , a body affiliated with the Chinese government. CNG data provider.
Beijing is letting go
In China, about 98% of people aged 9 to 19 have a mobile phone and the country has some 186 million Internet users aged 18 and under, the same source said.
Players must use their ID card when registering to play online to ensure minors do not lie about their age.
Businesses are also prohibited from offering games to youth outside of government-sanctioned hours.
But recent signs show that Beijing is softening its stance in this sector.
Authorities slowly began to grant new gaming licenses, after freezing them for nine months, until April.
Last week, tech giant Tencent obtained its first video game license in 18 months, weakening its position as the world’s number one.
Source: BFM TV
