China bans under 18 from PKing

reana1 · 2005-08-05T12:27:57

Didn't find any news on this here, but I haven't been around so forgive me if it's a repost. Also, wasn't sure where to post this. Hmm, maybe it goes in News? Anyhow: http://www.interfax.cn/showfeature.asp?aid=4211 Quote: Shanghai. August 3. INTERFAX-CHINA - Chinese authorities unveiled new regulations on Tuesday that will prohibit minors under the age of 18 from playing more violent online games, which currently dominate the Chinese online gaming market. 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). ... Quote: In addition, Chinese authorities have also ordered online game operators to install timing mechanisms that would automatically log players off of online games once they had exceeded a set number of hours of continuous play. Chinese gamers on average spend 10.9 hours a week playing online games. Now, I need to get back to playing WoW ... EDIT: Forgot to add the required: In Communist China, MMOs PK you.

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Started by reana1 August 04, 2005 03:54 PM

38 comments, last by Richy2k 18 years, 9 months ago

Eelco

301

August 05, 2005 07:31 AM

Quote:Original post by Extrarius
Quote:Original post by Yann L
[...]About the ban, well, each country and society has their own values. Hot coffee anyone ?
Can you explain how 'rating organization increased the suggested age requirement for a game by a single year for hidden sexual content' is comparable to 'government banned competitive play in many genres for those under 18 years old'?

naming it a 'rating orginazation' doesnt make it any less far reaching: the effect is the same. some americans feel pron (or rather the slightest hint of it) is inapropriate under 18. some chinese think spending a large fraction of your waking time simulating killing other people is inapropriate under 18. i agree with neither, but if i was forced to cheer for one itd be china. it is FAR less draconian in my book.

kSquared

1,356

August 05, 2005 07:43 AM

Quote:Original post by Eelco
Quote:Original post by kSquared
Quote:Original post by Raduprv
Yeah, and people under 21 in the US are not allowed to drink a beer or a glass of wine. How is that better?

I don't think that analogy is valid. If you play some Super Mario 64 for four hours straight and then get behind the wheel of a car, your reaction time is not going to be impaired. Compare this with drinking for four hours and then getting behind the wheel of car, where you will almost certainly endanger yourself, to say nothing of the hundreds of other people you will encounter on a road.

what does that have to do with age restrictions?

Alcohol is a mind-altering chemical with significant physiological effects that impair judgment. Video games aren't anywhere close. Yet China proposes to regulate video games the same way as alcohol. Doesn't that strike you as a little bit of an odd equivalence? Or do you agree with China's position?

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Eelco

301

August 05, 2005 07:54 AM

Quote:Original post by kSquared
Quote:Original post by Eelco
Quote:Original post by kSquared
Quote:Original post by Raduprv
Yeah, and people under 21 in the US are not allowed to drink a beer or a glass of wine. How is that better?

I don't think that analogy is valid. If you play some Super Mario 64 for four hours straight and then get behind the wheel of a car, your reaction time is not going to be impaired. Compare this with drinking for four hours and then getting behind the wheel of car, where you will almost certainly endanger yourself, to say nothing of the hundreds of other people you will encounter on a road.

what does that have to do with age restrictions?

Alcohol is a mind-altering chemical with significant physiological effects that impair judgment. Video games aren't anywhere close. Yet China proposes to regulate video games the same way as alcohol. Doesn't that strike you as a little bit of an odd equivalence? Or do you agree with China's position?

what does that have to do with age restrictions?

to elaborate, why allow adult people, who already need to carry much more responsibilities - are often entrusted with the responsiblity for the life of others, to ingest 'mind-altering chemicals with significant physiological effects'?

maybe we should only let people drink alcohol only BEFORE 18, then disallow it once they get children or a car?

its a retarded law, and many other western countrys have shown it to be pointless through demostration, the bullshit about pron even moreso. this china thing fits in the same list like it was created for it. but hey if thats what they think makes them feel good thats what they should do, both chinese and americans.

so to answer your last (redundant) question: no.

Extrarius

1,412

August 05, 2005 08:07 AM

Quote:Original post by Eelco
[...]naming it a 'rating orginazation' doesnt make it any less far reaching[...]

Actually it does, because the rating organization makes suggestions, while the government makes laws. The fact that the rating organization says you should be 18 to play the game doesn't mean you can't buy the game if you're under 18 and it doesn't mean you'll suffer any repercussions if you're caught playing a game rated for one older than yourself.

On the other hand, laws gnerally have some form of associated punisment that is enforced by the government.

Quote:Original post by Eelco
[...]its a retarded law, and many other western countrys have shown it to be pointless through demostration[...]

Can you give an example of a country with a culture similar to the culture of the US that has demonstrated alcohol restrictions are 'retarded law'?

"Walk not the trodden path, for it has borne it's burden." -John, Flying Monk

Zorak

304

August 05, 2005 08:14 AM

Quote:Original post by Eelco
Quote:
[...]its a retarded law, and many other western countrys have shown it to be pointless through demostration[...]
Can you give an example of a country with a culture similar to the culture of the US that has demonstrated alcohol restrictions are 'retarded law'?

The USA. Between 1919 and 1933 alcohol was illegal in the United States. This prohibition caused an explosion in crime as gangsters rushed to fill the demand for alcohol.. Why would there be such an "explosion" if the culture stopped drinking and thought the laws were swell?

Domine non secundum peccata nostra facias nobis

Eelco

301

August 05, 2005 08:20 AM

Quote:Original post by Extrarius
Quote:Original post by Eelco
[...]naming it a 'rating orginazation' doesnt make it any less far reaching[...]
Actually it does, because the rating organization makes suggestions, while the government makes laws. The fact that the rating organization says you should be 18 to play the game doesn't mean you can't buy the game if you're under 18 and it doesn't mean you'll suffer any repercussions if you're caught playing a game rated for one older than yourself.

On the other hand, laws gnerally have some form of associated punisment that is enforced by the government.

Quote:Original post by Eelco
[...]its a retarded law, and many other western countrys have shown it to be pointless through demostration[...]
Can you give an example of a country with a culture similar to the culture of the US that has demonstrated alcohol restrictions are 'retarded law'?

to my understanding, most stores wont sell 18+ rated games. the effect of giving a game such a rating or banning it is largely the same.

im crious: does the same apply to pron? can a pronstore also sell to everyone regardles of age then? that would be consistent with the videogames, but i dont see how it stacks up against the alcohol thing..

Porphiron

100

August 05, 2005 08:21 AM

Quote:Original post by python_regious
Am I the only one that thought this was about banning all under eighteens from Peking? Aka Bejing?!

No, you're not. :)

Frank Henry

186

August 05, 2005 09:38 AM

Quote:Original post by kSquared
Alcohol is a mind-altering chemical with significant physiological effects that impair judgment. Video games aren't anywhere close. Yet China proposes to regulate video games the same way as alcohol. Doesn't that strike you as a little bit of an odd equivalence? Or do you agree with China's position?

Uhm.. your country has a major problem with showing breasts, even if the nipple is covered.

Let's not throw rocks so quickly, shall we?

Lode

1,003

August 05, 2005 10:26 AM

Does this also count for PKing in MMORPG's?

Homepage | LodePNG

Richy2k

313

August 05, 2005 12:27 PM

Quote:Original post by python_regious
Am I the only one that thought this was about banning all under eighteens from Peking? Aka Bejing?!

No you aren't the only one.

Adventures of a Pro & Hobby Games Programmer - http://neilo-gd.blogspot.com/Twitter - http://twitter.com/neilogd

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