CHINA TO REIN IN ONLINE GAMES
Beijing to restrict number of video games over myopia fears
CHINA will restrict the number of video games and take steps to curb playing time by minors to address growing rates of childhood visual impairment as the government steps up its crackdown on the world’s biggest online gaming market.
A statement posted on the Education Ministry website on Thursday justified the new curbs as a way to counter worsening near-sightedness among minors, after President Xi Jinping this week called for greater national attention on optical health.
But the move adds to perceptions that there is a broader campaign to rein in China’s fastgrowing video game sub-culture after authorities made clear their concerns over gaming addiction and the violent content of many shoot-em-up titles.
The Education Ministry statement, also endorsed by seven other ministries, said it would “implement regulations and controls” on the number of games that can be played online, limit new releases, explore an age-restriction system for games and take steps to reduce playing time by minors.
No specifics or timeframe were given.
Shares in Internet giant Tencent, China’s games leader, dropped by more than five per cent in Hong Kong while Perfect World Co, a game developer formerly listed on the US Nasdaq exchange, fell as much as nine per cent in Shenzhen.
Several other smaller game developers also plunged on Shenzhen tech-heavy exchange.
Chinese official studies and media reports have warned of growing rates of near-sightedness, or myopia, and among increasingly younger children. Excessive screen time and strict school study routines are often blamed.
A national vision report in 2015 said around 500 million Chinese — nearly half the population above 5 years old — suffer visual impairment, 450 million are near-sighted, and rates were rising.
It estimated visual impairment issues cost China US$100 billion (RM411 billion) in 2012.