Chinese authorities have been cracking down on mainstream culture in various attempts to reshape the nation's youth. Focused efforts are being given toward minimizing the effects and influences video games have on minors.
To that end, officials recently started to slow down approvals for online games. According to South China Morning Post, the strategy came after a recent meeting between Chinese authorities and firms including Tencent Holdings and NetEase, during which Chinese authorities told these major firms to place less of a focus on profits and attracting consumers.
The Chinese Communist Party-ruled government has placed increasing pressured over video game companies over the course of the past year. State-run media outlets have expressed the view that there is a widespread video game addiction issue across the country, with some outlets going so far as to liken gaming to drug use. As a result, shares across the major video game companies, including Tencent, have plummeted by as much as 10 percent.
Slowing down the approval of online video games would appear be simply the next step in the ongoing crackdown, after authorities imposed strict limits on the number of hours minors are allowed to spend gaming. Gamers in China under 18 years of age are prohibited from playing more than an hour of online video games between 8PM and 9PM on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Local game developers and publishers have been instructed to implement measures to ensure children do not violate these restrictions and will also be routinely inspected to ensure compliance.
The crackdown on video gaming may also be viewed as a wider movement against pop culture, with the CCP introducing new laws and placing pressure on all sectors of entertainment, including film and celebrity culture. A rumored "reorganization list" from the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) has caused celebrities outside of China to take steps to cut ties with foreign countries. According to those rumors, the list includes stars such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Liu Yifei and more. It is unknown how authorities will act against celebrity culture, but it is worth noting that Chinese actor Zhao Wei, who has frequently been mentioned in tabloids over the years, was recently scrubbed from Chinese websites and media without reason.
Tencent Holdings has helped to produce games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, Monster Hunter Online and more, while NetEase has been involved in the upcoming Diablo Immortal and Marvel Super War.
Source: SCMP