China imposes curfew on minors in gaming crackdown

BEIJING, China (AFP) – China has imposed a curfew to limit the time spent by children playing games online, in the latest part of a government crackdown on youth gaming addiction.

The regulations will mean those under 18 cannot play games online between 10 p.m and 8 a.m, and for only 90 minutes at a time during the daytime.

In addition, the guidelines will reduce the amount of money minors can spend online playing games to 200 RMB ($28) per month, rising to 400 RMB for those between 16 and 18 years old.

The new rules will also require all gamers to use a real-name registration and details such a WeChat account, phone number or ID number to sign up.

In the statement published Tuesday, the government also calls for games producers to “modify the game content, functions or rules” to avoid causing addiction in young players.

China is the world’s biggest video game market, but the government has been tightening up on the industry amid concerns about health, worsening near-sightedness in children and online addiction.

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – A Japanese bidder may be feeling the pinch after forking out $46,000 at auction for a snow crab – a price that "probably set a new world record,” local officials said Thursday.

The winter seafood delicacy is in season from this week in the western Tottori region, where the crustacean was snapped up for a final price of five million yen.

In Japan, buyers often pay eye-watering sums to secure a seasonal first at auction, from tuna to melons, with media attention guaranteed.

"I was surprised it went for such a high price," local government official Shota Inamono told AFP of the crab that weighed in at 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds)

A hashtag about the new rules was one of the most discussed on China’s social media platform Weibo on Thursday with 210 million views.

“This statement just means that teenagers can’t play the games, because for most teenagers in China, they need to go to school from 6.30 a.m and end at 10 p.m,” one user complained.

“It’s a bit of a one-size-fits-all thing,” wrote another, saying a graded rating system of games made more sense.

Another claimed that it was easy to obtain fake ID numbers online and that gamers would just use these to create their accounts.

Last year, Beijing announced new controls on the number of games that can be played online, limited new releases, and imposed rules on underage players to reduce their screen time.

Chinese giant Tencent – the planet’s biggest game company – announced in March it was implementing new curbs on underage video-game playing.

The gaming group had already has launched a real-name identification system for “Honour of Kings” to enforce playtime restrictions on youths. and measured 14.6 centimeters (5.7 inches) across.

According to Inamoto, the price exceeded last year's record price of two million yen, which was registered at the time in the Guinness World Records for most expensive crab.

"The crab this year beat the record price last year, so we believe this is probably the most expensive crab in the world," he said, adding the government will consider applying for Guinness certification again.

The crab was purchased by a local retailer, and will be served at a high-end Japanese restaurant in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district, local media reported.