The gaming population of China has skyrocketed to 484 million as of December 2018, and around 459 million of them are using their mobile phones to play some of the world’s most popular games.

Since then, various sections of the community, including the government, have been picking their brains to come up with ways to tackle the negative effects of gaming.

The recent guidelines China released aims to fast-track their ongoing thrust to “curb video game addiction,” according to CNN. The rules will not only target a particular aspect of gaming, but in its entirety.

China’s new rules will be applied to all online gaming platforms that are operating in the country, including Tencent, the world’s biggest gaming entity. It was also through China’s vice-like grip on online gaming and other preventive measures that made company’s stock dropped to around 30% last year and, in the process, lost some $160 billion in market value.

The “Notice on Preventing Minors from Indulging in Online Games” guidelines steps in the shadow of some of China’s existing practice to contain online gaming, such as the creation of the Online Ethics Committee and the push of the Culture and Tourism Ministry to create “clean and green online games for young people.”

As stated in their official website, gamers under the age of 18 will not be allowed to play online games between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following day. Minors, on the other hand, can only play a total of 90 minutes during weekdays, but they can play up to three hours “on weekends and public holidays.”

The novel strategy will likewise keep the amount of money gamers spent on their online accounts at a minimum. Gamers aged between eight to 16 years old are only allowed to spend a maximum of $29 per month, while older gamers (aged 16 to 18) can spend up to $57.

“The formulation and implementation of the 'Notice' is of great significance and practical role in strengthening and improving the management of online games, effectively protecting the physical and mental health of minors, and creating a literal and fluent network space,” a spokesperson of the National Press and Publication Administration told Xinhua News Agency Tuesday.

The representative further stated that the administration will be working with the police to create a “real-name registration system” so that gaming companies can double check the identities of their users and cross-reference it to the national database.

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