NEW LAW IN CHINA FORCES GAME DISTRIBUTORS TO GET PRIOR APPROVAL OF OFFICIAL CENSORS

New law has been introduced in China which requires game distributors to get approval from the country's censors before being able to release new games in China. With over 23 million gamers in China and an estimated market of nearly 100 million Canadian dollars (and climbing), distributors will have to submit to these latest attempts by China to control video game content. According to the BBC, 'companies must also submit monthly monitoring reports, confirming developers have not added forbidden content."? Forbidden content is said to include pornography, excessive violence, sensitive religious material and references to territorial disputes.

Earlier plans by the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) in China to control video gaming and content have included 3 hour limits being imposed on gaming followed by a 5 hour 'cooling off"? period between 3 hour sessions; banning minors from being able to play games on-line which are deemed to be too violent; and embedding technology within games which enforces such restrictive measures.

According to some, these and other measures are being proposed and imposed in an effort to assist in curbing the 'addiction of Chinese youth to video games"? and to censor offensive content. How effective these measures are, remains to be seen.

Coverage at  http://shorl.com/bypapribidroku (Games Industry); http://shorl.com/byfukystujima (China View)