Calneon
19th January 2009, 11:29 PM
Quote from an article on GameReplays (http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/portals.php?show=news&news_id=443768&home).
Zhang Yijun, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication's technology and digital publication department, stated that due to a recent decision by the Chinese government, gamers who are playing a game online where they are allowed to create a user name are not longer allowed to do so. Instead, each gamer must register their account or character under their real name and play under it. The law is planned to take effect this year.
It doesn't end here either. Governmental forces in Beijing also are imposing time limits to try and stem the possibility of addicted behavior of popular massive multiplayer online games such as World of WarCraft and Lineage II. With more than 20 million Chinese online players, the government is going to attempt to tend the issue by limiting play time down to only three hours at a time. If players attempt to go over this limit of three hours, their characters will only earn half their experience. This way, Chinese players will have reduced experience in their MMO games if they exceed just three hours of play. If they play past a five hour mark they will gain no experience at all. Players will be then forced to take a five hour break before being allowed to return to their game. "The timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," says Xiaowei Kou, of the General Administration of Press and Publication or GAPP (an organization which monitors Chinese online gaming).
Apparently all major gaming companies of China agreed to the terms and are "willing to sacrifice short-term revenues to create a healthy environment for online gamers". The list of the games in which these drastic measures are being put in place for includes Blizzard's hit MMORPG World of WarCraft and its respective expansion packs, which has a player base of over 1.5 million gamers in China alone. Other games that are included in the restrictions will be The Legend of Mir II, The Legend of Mir 3G, Lineage II, Westward Journey Online, Fantasy Westward Journey Online, MU, JX Online, First Myth Online, The World of Legend, and Blade Online.
I think the first idea is the most rediculous, where you have to name your avatar using your real name. I think the other could potentially be a good idea, 3 hours is enough for casual instances (using WoW as an example), but hardcore raiders will definately be penalised. The thing I see a problem for their government is that they can't do jack shit if Blizzard just says, "No, sorry", and that's that. The only thing the government could do it make WoW illegal. TBH, I think the limit is a good idea if implemented well, for example you could limit to three hours per sitting before 6PM, and then have unlimited afterwards so people can raid. The limit should only apply to under 18s though.
Zhang Yijun, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication's technology and digital publication department, stated that due to a recent decision by the Chinese government, gamers who are playing a game online where they are allowed to create a user name are not longer allowed to do so. Instead, each gamer must register their account or character under their real name and play under it. The law is planned to take effect this year.
It doesn't end here either. Governmental forces in Beijing also are imposing time limits to try and stem the possibility of addicted behavior of popular massive multiplayer online games such as World of WarCraft and Lineage II. With more than 20 million Chinese online players, the government is going to attempt to tend the issue by limiting play time down to only three hours at a time. If players attempt to go over this limit of three hours, their characters will only earn half their experience. This way, Chinese players will have reduced experience in their MMO games if they exceed just three hours of play. If they play past a five hour mark they will gain no experience at all. Players will be then forced to take a five hour break before being allowed to return to their game. "The timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," says Xiaowei Kou, of the General Administration of Press and Publication or GAPP (an organization which monitors Chinese online gaming).
Apparently all major gaming companies of China agreed to the terms and are "willing to sacrifice short-term revenues to create a healthy environment for online gamers". The list of the games in which these drastic measures are being put in place for includes Blizzard's hit MMORPG World of WarCraft and its respective expansion packs, which has a player base of over 1.5 million gamers in China alone. Other games that are included in the restrictions will be The Legend of Mir II, The Legend of Mir 3G, Lineage II, Westward Journey Online, Fantasy Westward Journey Online, MU, JX Online, First Myth Online, The World of Legend, and Blade Online.
I think the first idea is the most rediculous, where you have to name your avatar using your real name. I think the other could potentially be a good idea, 3 hours is enough for casual instances (using WoW as an example), but hardcore raiders will definately be penalised. The thing I see a problem for their government is that they can't do jack shit if Blizzard just says, "No, sorry", and that's that. The only thing the government could do it make WoW illegal. TBH, I think the limit is a good idea if implemented well, for example you could limit to three hours per sitting before 6PM, and then have unlimited afterwards so people can raid. The limit should only apply to under 18s though.