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China Halts Special Approval Process for New Games (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the further-crackdown dept.

China's regulators have ended the issuance of game licenses through a stopgap approval process, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The move would close the last known official path for making money from new titles in the world's biggest gaming market. From the report: Licenses are no longer being granted through a process known as the "green channel," used for testing both domestic and foreign games, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. The approval mechanism had been in place since at least August, following the government's decision earlier this year to restructure how it reviews video games for violence, gambling and sensitive topics. The new restrictions in the $38 billion market threaten the fortunes of game companies such as Tencent Holdings and NetEase and add to the uncertainty about the Communist Party's long-term plans for regulating the industry. While it's unclear why Beijing has shut that window, the government has stepped up its oversight of an industry it sees fomenting addiction, myopia and other ills among the country's youth. Some analysts had anticipated that the broader freeze would end by September. They had seen the green channel as a temporary solution to carry the industry until then.

21 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. due to tariffs and trade war?? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    As they don't want people there to buy us made stuff?

    1. Re:due to tariffs and trade war?? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      If this were the case, I think it may be more focused to keep its citizens focused more on work and being productive.

      The trade war would hurt China more then the US does. But in times of strife, China can lock out descent and try to keep its citizens busy to prevent them causing as much trouble.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:due to tariffs and trade war?? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      As they don't want people there to buy us made stuff?

      No. The restrictions apply to both foreign and domestic games. Most games played in China are made in China.

      The government is trying to cut back on the time people waste playing games. In America, if you look at drivers or people walking down the street, you may see 10-20% doing so with a cell phone held up in front of their nose. In China, it is 90%. It is fun to just sit on a street corner in Shanghai and watch bicyclists crash into each other because neither is watching where they are going.

      I don't think the ban will have much effect. In new games aren't available, people will just continue to play the old games.

    3. Re:due to tariffs and trade war?? by burni2 · · Score: 1

      I don't think that this is the real intent, because the article says "domestic and foreign games" meaning also games from chinese companies.

      When you follow the development in the peoples republic of china (PRC) you can guess their intent pretty well. Western lifestyle is more and more seen as "unwanted" influence and a deteroration of "the"(*) chinese culture and lifestyle. This view expressed by the leadership elite and headlined by Xi Jinping. In contrast most people from china that have earned their capitalistic share have a certain tendency to a western lifestyle (increasing demand for milk, western made cars for example as symbols of their wealth)

      Interstingly when people from china have worked in western countries and adapted a certain western lifestyle and work ethic they are named "bananas" - yellow on the outside, white on the inside - as an insult.

      The leadership elite fears that influence because it has the potential of breaking the perceived picture of china as being "the one and only china"(*). This nationalistic -united- china is what the leadership wants because it gives strength - military strength, wealth. (see island expansion, ignorance of international law and judgement)

      Disscent now more than in the last 15-20 yrs. is viewed upon as a threat to this nationalistic ideal. (see islamic religous life more and more oppressed in Xinjiang). Internment in reeducation camps has been revived. (these camps were not seen in china for quite some time)

      And video games are just part of the western culture and "some" gamers do not exercise, getting overweight, underperform in school. No exercise and overweight = danger to the military strength, underperform in school = threat to the academic uprising of china.

      (*) "the" china - despite that picture, china is a huge country with diverse cultural heritage, food, religion.

    4. Re:due to tariffs and trade war?? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      Put a video up on YouTube.

      YouTube? Do you mean Tudou?

    5. Re:due to tariffs and trade war?? by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      So the China gaming market, the poorest people, playing the cheapest games on the cheapest hardware, largely the bulk of the market. So nothing more really than than political censorship and of course some manufacturers can be favoured over others, so chances for graft increase.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  2. ...were in 2018 by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

    "The government agencies didn’t immediately respond to faxes seeking comment" WHAT ? lol

    1. Re:...were in 2018 by sound+vision · · Score: 1

      I went to the state employment office a couple years ago and they still had a teletype machine... the typewriter-looking thing, where you cradle the receiver of the phone into the rubber cup, and there's a sheet that prints out with the message from the TTY at the other end. It didn't look like anyone had used it in years, but it was there ready to receive a message...

    2. Re:...were in 2018 by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

      and the company I work for still uses fax tor receive them. ;/

  3. surprizing by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

    With all the news that has been going on in the USA about gambling, loot boxes and all those shenanigans, I'm surprised China didn't get hit by regulators and investigators since they have a really huge market and impact. I mean chinese devs can be the worst when it comes to the skinner box effect. If you don't know what he skinner box effect, just google it.

    1. Re:surprizing by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      The US doesn't care about loot boxes and shenanigans, the EU does. And China cares mostly about social control. If they knew how to do that with games, they'd be all over it. They're probably are delaying it until they figure out if they can use it as another means of control.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  4. They'll like this game by glitch! · · Score: 1

    I know what game the government would like. Your game character stands by a virtual assembly line, putting iPhones together. That's all. And it doesn't stop until your character jumps out a window.

    --
    A dingo ate my sig...
  5. It should be obvious . . . by sgt_doom · · Score: 3, Informative

    . . . game players tend to be independent thinkers, which is what game playing tends to foster.

    Can't have any independent thought in a country ruled by Emperor Xi Jinping!

    1. Re:It should be obvious . . . by sgt_doom · · Score: 1

      I'll bet you love those totalitarian state rules in the People's Republic of the Disappeared, right? One of those retired American military pukes, are you? Or another sleazy jobs offshorer. . . . -- sgt_doom

    2. Re:It should be obvious . . . by khchung · · Score: 3, Insightful

      . . . game players tend to be independent thinkers, which is what game playing tends to foster.
       

      Bwhahahahaha.... hahahaha..... *sniff*

      I am sure the droves of Candy Crush drones and Pokemon drones are sooooo independent thinkers. Yup.

      Armies of DotA and LOL players glued to their PC day and night, a reeeeal threat to dictators!

      --
      Oliver.
  6. I bet that Xi Pooh was beat in multiplayer by H3lldr0p · · Score: 2

    He doesn't strike me as being one with thick skin. That'd be Eeyore.

  7. "because the matter is private" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I don't claim that any western political system is perfect, but this statement is fucking insane.

  8. Fuck the Chinese government by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In fact, fuck most all governments in general. They're all corrupt, full of shit, and generally exist only to preserve and consolidate their own power -- with a hand-waving lip-service paid to serving the people, so long as they shut up and do as they're told. Otherwise you get bullshit like in Syria and China and both North and South Korea.

    Of course the real root of the problem is humans. There are too fucking many of us. We need to make about 90% of us disappear, then things will calm the hell down, be manageable, we won't be ass-raping the Earth anymore, and so on. Maybe the best thing that can happen to the human species is a massive die-back from a pandemic or something. Would serve us right.

    1. Re:Fuck the Chinese government by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      The eco terrorist's manifesto.

  9. they pushed apple to ban that app! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    they pushed apple to ban that app!

  10. WoW Gold Farmers? by Toad-san · · Score: 1

    Probably not affected :-)