The Chinese government is strengthening its measures to monitor online gaming content. The aim is to stop content that it deems improper.
Should SPOnG point out that when the Chinese government makes a call, major non-Chinese corporations follow suit? And when corporations jump, the ground beneath governments trembles? No, of course we shouldn’t, that’s just old political guff.
The new rules reflect the push by the government to tighten control over Chinese newspapers, television and other media (Google springs to mind). They're designed to prevent forbidden content relating to religious and political issues reaching gamers, although sex and violence may be censored too.
The rules dictate that as well as seeking approval for games prior to release, publishers will have to report to the government on a monthly basis. These reports will have to demonstrate that new content that breaches censorship laws has not been added since the game's release.
China already has in place a system prohibitive to playing online games such as their extremely popular Legend of Mir for more than three consecutive hours. After that period the ability of the player's character is halved. After a further two hours the points are cut again to the lowest possible denominator. Players must be logged off the games for five hours before their points are re-set.
The new rules also come hot on the heels of Vietnam introducing new legislation. Since mid-June all Vietnamese internet cafes have had to be located 200 metres from schools. They've also had to be closed from 11pm-6am and under-14s have needed to be accompanied by an adult. Finally, they introduced a system which deducts characters' points after three hours…
The government cited imported titles (which at the end of 2004 constituted 62.5% of online games in China) as having provoked the new legislation. Some of them reportedly contained disagreeable materiel. China currently has an estimated 23 million online gamers.
How do you feel about further censorship of games? Let us know in the Forum.
Should SPOnG point out that when the Chinese government makes a call, major non-Chinese corporations follow suit? And when corporations jump, the ground beneath governments trembles? No, of course we shouldn’t, that’s just old political guff.
The new rules reflect the push by the government to tighten control over Chinese newspapers, television and other media (Google springs to mind). They're designed to prevent forbidden content relating to religious and political issues reaching gamers, although sex and violence may be censored too.
The rules dictate that as well as seeking approval for games prior to release, publishers will have to report to the government on a monthly basis. These reports will have to demonstrate that new content that breaches censorship laws has not been added since the game's release.
China already has in place a system prohibitive to playing online games such as their extremely popular Legend of Mir for more than three consecutive hours. After that period the ability of the player's character is halved. After a further two hours the points are cut again to the lowest possible denominator. Players must be logged off the games for five hours before their points are re-set.
The new rules also come hot on the heels of Vietnam introducing new legislation. Since mid-June all Vietnamese internet cafes have had to be located 200 metres from schools. They've also had to be closed from 11pm-6am and under-14s have needed to be accompanied by an adult. Finally, they introduced a system which deducts characters' points after three hours…
The government cited imported titles (which at the end of 2004 constituted 62.5% of online games in China) as having provoked the new legislation. Some of them reportedly contained disagreeable materiel. China currently has an estimated 23 million online gamers.
How do you feel about further censorship of games? Let us know in the Forum.
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Comments
Joji 13 Dec 2006 16:07
1/2
Strange draconian nation. They really hate the idea of people thinking for themselves, even in a damn game, how sad.
Gamers will chase import games because the stuff they do legally let them play have shackles attached. If you can't even have fun without restrictions of some sort you might as well just play chess or something (oh no....you can't play chess because the acts of pawns taking kings and queens will give the people ideas of revolution...lol).
If China wasn't a haven for piracy they might not be so many people playing freely developed import games. However saying that, living with such a draconian, paranoid government, if I lived there, I too might have to look at pirate import games for some kind of unspoilt freedom.
Gamers will chase import games because the stuff they do legally let them play have shackles attached. If you can't even have fun without restrictions of some sort you might as well just play chess or something (oh no....you can't play chess because the acts of pawns taking kings and queens will give the people ideas of revolution...lol).
If China wasn't a haven for piracy they might not be so many people playing freely developed import games. However saying that, living with such a draconian, paranoid government, if I lived there, I too might have to look at pirate import games for some kind of unspoilt freedom.
Piranha 14 Dec 2006 12:42
2/2
Joji wrote:
However saying that, living with such a draconian, paranoid government, if I lived there, I too might have to look at pirate import games for some kind of unspoilt freedom.
Looking at the recent fuss over Bully & Rule of the Rose, the chinese are not the only draconian, paranoid government!