China Continue Crackdown On Gaming - Banning Streaming For U16s
China's rich and illustrious history in gaming and pioneering esports has recently been threatened with a curfew for upcoming talents, in a move that aims to combat the "serious video game addiction problem" in the country.
The Chinese government recently thwarted the growth of young gamers by restricting their gaming allowance time to just one hour per day on weekends (Friday - Sunday), until they turn 18. Alongside this, the Chinese government is to ban games that feature "gay love", another setback for the gaming community who thrive in their freedom to be expressive.
It appears that they are not done with their iron clasp over gaming, yet, with more restrictions coming into play to almost ridicule gaming in China.
According to reports from the South China Morning Post, the Chinese government are implementing a 10-year national guideline on children's development, which has serious ramifications on gaming and streaming.
The guidelines propose that "operators who provide online services, including games, live-streaming, audio and video streaming, as well as social networks should limit the time and money minors spend online," and will also be banned from allowing teenagers under the age of 16 from signing up as streamers.
Click to enlargeStreaming platforms such as Bilibili, Inke, XiaoHongShu, and many more will all be affected, and individual game manufacturers, such as Tencent, will be forced to adopt a brand-new unified electronic identity authentication system that will aim to combat gamers bypassing the rules, as well as limiting the spends of youngsters on said games.
Tencent previously added a facial recognition system to their titles, in a bid to catch out young gamers who are using their parents' details to access games for a longer period. However, a similar national system will now be added to all games or consoles to monitor the restrictions put in place.
The crackdowns pose a threat for Chinese esports, a massive U-turn from earlier this year when esports was recognised as a professional career by the government. Despite this, the growth of upcoming players will be hindered until the age of 18, where public validation through streams and lengthy practice sessions will be forbidden.
Chinese League of Legends star Tian "Meiko" Ye rose to fame at the age of 16, where he won his first major event for EDward gaming at the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational - alongside a $20,000 prize. With only one hour of practice allowed, and no streaming platforms to make a name for themselves, it's likely that these restrictions will mean stories such as Meiko's won't be possible again. The now 23-year-old will be making his fifth World Championship appearance this year.
It's not yet clear when the restrictions on streaming and the facial recognition systems will come into play, despite being detailed in the 10-year plan.