China bans online games for minors

[CptStern]

sort of ...they've banned PK (player killing)

China bans minors under 18 from playing online games that allow players to kill other players


"Effective immediately, all minors are banned from playing online games in which players are allowed to kill other players, an activity that has been termed Player Kills (PK). China's Ministry of Culture (MOC) and Ministry of Information Industry (MII) have also ordered the country's online game operators to develop identity authentication systems that prevent minors from playing games These authentication systems would require all players to first enter their Citizen ID Card numbers before being allowed to play games that allow Player Kills"



how long before this sort of legislation is introduced states-side?

 

[Laivasse]

The emphasis on Player Killing and "becoming powerful from killing others" makes it seem like this is targeted at MMORPGs as opposed to games like CS and its ilk. Yet surely violence in RPGs is about the LEAST convincing or disturbing you can get. I don't understand the mentality behind this...surely it can't really be that they think stuff like WoW is too violent?

The cut-off system sounds like balls too. But then...it's China, innit? Of course, the average chinese technophile is pretty snakey, so I'm sure they'll find ways around this.

 

[CptStern]

well I guess with all the problems in the east with games like Wow you can almost see how this would make sense ...even though I think all the people invloved with murders were adults

 

[Laivasse]

That's what I initially assumed was the reasoning behind this. But wasn't at least one of the murders over an *item* in the game, and nothing to do with player killing at all? Looks like another case of legislators missing the point entirely.

 

[CptStern]

you mean the legislators dont actually play the games they legislate against!?! the horror!

hehe ya ...it was some virtual sword or something

 

[smwScott]

Produced state-side? Never, most likely.

Think about it, do you have any idea the kind of uproar that would be caused if the government forced you to enter your social security number to verify whether you were allowed to use an internet based program? Banning the sale of violent games to minors may be more attainable, but in reality even that will probably not happen.

What will happen is a degradation into the current state of Hollywood. Mainstream movies are all but never rated NC-17, and R (the M equivalent) is avoided like the plague. Eventually you're going to start to see all major publishers release "EA-esque" mainstream T rated games because of the sales hit incurred with M releases.

 

[bliink]

Only way to fix it is to write letters!

1) Go to google, find your rep's contact info
2) Type up a good letter, proof read it, maybe post it here to double check- include strong, concise points and sources.
3) Buy a stamp, envelope
4) Print letter
5) fold printed letter so that it will fit in the envelope, put it in, whack the stamp on, drop it in a mailbox (you may need to walk to do this! but be strong!)

If you fail to do this, the vocal minority will **** you over and in no time you'll be slaves on another planet for the freemasons! well, maybe not... but things will be bad...

 

[<RJMC>]

oh crap I made the same topic in general gaming

 

[Flyingdebris]

Those chicommies and their non player killing ways...when will they ever learn?

At least they didn't go nearly as far as Greece and its "no electronic games at all" law

 

[Tr0n]

I don't blame'em...they make kids kill people. /sarcasm

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I thought it was going to be because they were gaming until they died and stuff. But those stories mainly come from the ROK.

Another one just died, too, check the news stories related to those things, he gamed for 50 hours and had a heart attack.