Whether you were a gamer as a kid or know some now, the rise in online gaming has seen addiction levels rise across the world. Often it’s up to parents or guardians to limit and monitor how much game time is enough.
In a controversial move,
China is further limiting play time for under 18’s to 3 hours per week for online gaming. They limit under-18s to playing for one hour a day - 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. - on only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, according to the Xinhua state news agency.
This is being mandated by the government, meaning all gaming providers will be required by law to enforce and monitor this. According to the National Press and Publication Administration, online gaming has an impact on both the physical and mental health of minors
The changes will mean all gamers will require ID verification - so no more hiding behind your online usernames like xX-0nlin3-Gamer-Xx.
Adult users will still be able to play 24/7, so perhaps under 18’s will simply start using their parents or older siblings accounts.
The announcement has seen shares drop as well. Amsterdam-listed tech investment company Prosus, which holds a 29% stake in Chinese social media and video games group Tencent, were down 1.45%, while European online video gaming stocks Ubisoft and Embracer Group each fell over 2%.
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