Other China Issues Draft Rules for Online Game Management

[cm2]

Read from Installbase:

China on Friday unveiled new draft rules for online video games, imposing strict rules on players' spending as Beijing continues to tighten regulations for the sector.

Online games need to set spending limits and ban daily login rewards, according to the draft rules released by the National Press and Publication Administration on Friday.

The draft rules also proposed banning large tips for rewards to player who livestream their games and prohibits online games from offering probability-based luck draw features to minors.

Online game approvals are required to be processed by regulators within 60 days, according to the draft, adding that game publishers are required to store servers within China.

The administration is seeking public comment on the rules through Jan. 22, 2024.

Article 2: [Scope of Application]These Measures apply to online game publishing business activities within the mainland territory of the People's Republic of China.

"Online games" as used in these Measures refers to game products and services that are composed of software programs and information data, and are provided to the public for download or online interactive use through information networks.

"Online game publishing business activities" as used in these Measures includes activities such as the research and development, publication, and operation of online games, as well as the issuance and trading of online game currency.

 

[Artisan Vistra]

Daily logins are bad if the provided token is not valuable. But if it's something of value once a week, then this would be a non-issue to me other than the constricting view of laws imposed on society as a whole.

 

[froggyboy604]

I don't understand why daily login rewards are banned in China since gamers aren't usually spending or betting money on daily login rewards in hope they get a good reward.

 

[Ash]

I don't understand why daily login rewards are banned in China since gamers aren't usually spending or betting money on daily login rewards in hope they get a good reward.

Maybe they're trying to get kids to play less. No daily login rewards mean people are less likely to log in and play a bit every day just for those bonuses.

 

[cm2]

Because Xi JinPing hates video games. He said videogames are "spiritual opium" lol

 

[froggyboy604]

Maybe they're trying to get kids to play less. No daily login rewards mean people are less likely to log in and play a bit every day just for those bonuses.

I agree that China is trying to make video games not as enjoyable by getting rid of login rewards, so gamers will play less games.

I wonder if China will tell game companies will to get rid of non-reward login counts for gamers to see how many days in a row they login to the game because a few gamers may login for many days in a row to see how long they can play a game in a row for.

 

[Uncrowned Guard]

China's goal isn't exactly bad, they are going aiming to combat the addictive and fairly anti-consumer aspects of gaming that very much run rampant in mobile gaming.

There is my natural reaction that they are pushing the laws to far and are doing more harm than good, but there is also the side of me that sees how gaming companies are easily sidestepping actions like loot box bans with even worse systems.

For me personally, the fomo in mobile gaming is at the point that it cripples gameplay for casual users and the costs of trying to be a "casual spender" in mobile gaming is often absurd. The games are clearly designed to build off "whales" addicted to the games and ignore the players who just want to have fun. I do wish there were more answers than regulations and China is not exactly the government that will find a comfy middle ground, but I don't really feel sorry for any of these companies feeling the loses.

Overall, if these games want to play as gambling simulator with real money, but virtual rewards, then they should probably be regulated like gambling companies.