China Blocks Online Gamers From Playing For More Than 3 Consecutive Hours
Shanghai. August 23. INTERFAX-CHINA - The Chinese Government unveiled a new system Tuesday to prevent individuals from playing online games for more than three consecutive hours, which must be installed for every online game in the country.
"This timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," Kou Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual and Internet Publication Department of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said during a press conference.
The new system, developed under the guidance of the GAPP, stops individuals from playing online games for more than three hours by cutting the abilities of game characters. The new system cuts the ability level of a player's online game character by half after he or she has played for more than three consecutive hours. Once a player has played for more than five consecutive hours, the system cuts the ability level of that player's character to the lowest level allowed by the game.
Comments
That's too funny. I can't decide whether that's a good idea or a violation of gamers' civil rights...
Posted by: m. | September 7, 2005 1:32 PM
that's not cool.... however, it might be a challenge for game developers to carry out a 3-hour-strategy for new game design, sorta 10-minut-ad device for episode tv.
Posted by: yuechuan | September 7, 2005 3:01 PM
It would be interesting to know how they came up with the "3-hour" limit/rule and why they would allow the players to continue with limited resources.
Posted by: andrew![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jzabel/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 7, 2005 9:44 PM
An intervention? How lucky we are to live in a place where are freedoms include playing games until death.
Posted by: Pbellezza![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jzabel/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 8, 2005 12:28 AM
Well this brings up a beast of an issue - the morality of laws protecting people against themselves. I've always thought the illegality of suicide was preposterous, as likewise I think this new law is. It seems to come down to a value judgment on the part of the Chinese goverment that playing these games is not in any way beneficial to the order of society - I mean, they don't have any laws preventing people from working over three hours in an inhumanely conditioned factory making Nikes, do they?
Posted by: noha![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jzabel/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 8, 2005 12:15 PM