Chinese Gaming Industry Unveils Draft Guidelines for Self-Regulation

China's video game industry trade association has introduced a draft of new guidelines aimed at promoting self-regulation within the sector, aligning with government restrictions. The draft, published by the Gaming Publishing Committee of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, outlines 11 key requirements that new games must fulfill before they can be released in the region. Over a dozen Chinese gaming companies, including Tencent and Huawei Technologies, contributed to the development of these guidelines. The draft was made public via the Association's official WeChat account, and gaming companies in China have until April 13 to submit their comments and suggestions. The proposed requirements address various concerns, such as gaming addiction, protection of minors, and user privacy violations, as well as issues like counterfeiting and copyright disputes. Additionally, the guidelines prohibit games from compromising national security, leaking state secrets, or promoting content that is deemed harmful, including pornography, gambling, and violence. Advertisements for games must also adhere to the principles of building a Socialist Spiritual Civilisation. The guidelines advocate for the use of the Online Game Anti-addiction Real-name Verification System, which limits players under 18 to three hours of gaming per week. This system was introduced in August 2021 as part of a nationwide effort to combat gaming addiction among young people. The development of these self-regulation rules began in March 2022, marking the first comprehensive set of guidelines since the Chinese government called for stricter gaming regulations in 2021. Recently, the Association has been pushing for more restrictions on the time and money spent by young people on video games, despite claiming that gaming addiction among minors had been resolved just a few months prior. While regulatory restrictions on players and content are increasing, the number of approved games for release in the region is also rising, with 175 new titles approved since the start of 2023.