China is to bring in new rules that will limit the amount of money and time that people can spend on video games. The restrictions are aimed at limiting in-game purchases and restricting time spent gaming. The planned curbs also reiterate a ban on
forbidden online game content that endangers national unity and endangers national security or harms national reputation and interests. Online games must not offer rewards that entice people to excessively play and spend, including those for daily
logins and topping up accounts with additional funds, said the industry regulator, the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA). Pop-ups warning users of irrational playing behaviour are also set to come into force and game publishers
would need to house their servers processing and storing user data in China, rather than elsewhere. The news sent shares in tech giants tumbling and wiped tens of billions of dollars off their value. According to Reuters, the censor is
seeking public comment on the proposals by 22 January. |