Under new rules that took effect Monday, Chinese Internet gaming companies must install a program that requires users to enter their ID card numbers. After three hours, players under 18 are prompted to stop and "do suitable physical exercise."More info at Chron.
If they continue, the software slashes by half any points earned in the game. All points are wiped out if players stay on more than five hours.
The program is part of a government campaign to combat Internet gaming addiction, "clean up the Internet environment" and "promote civilized Internet use," according to guidelines issued by China's General Administration of Press and Publication.
About 10 percent of China's more than 30 million Internet gamers were underage as of the end of 2006, according to the Chinese newspaper National Business Daily.
The government guidelines don't flat-out denounce the popular pastime, saying "measured gaming is good for the brain, but gaming addiction hurts the body."
China launches campaign to limit teenage Internet gaming to 3 hours a day
Posted on Saturday, July 21 2007 @ 13:06 CEST by Thomas De MaesschalckEarlier this week the Chinese government initiated a campaign to limit the number of hours teens spend playing online games:
