Some of China’s most prominent game developers have banded together to create a new age rating system for video games launched in the lucrative region.
As reported by Bloomberg (via Chinese paper People’s Daily’s), the group includes big-names like Tencent, NetEase, and Perfect World, and it seems like those involved hope the new system will make it easier to gain approval to launch and monetize games on home soil.
It has become increasingly difficult to release games in China in recent months, with the new State Administration of Press and Publication tightening up approvals in an apparent bid to stem game addiction in minors and teens.
The newly proposed rating system would assign games an age rating — such as 6, 12, 16, and 18 — based on content maturity, in-app purchase usage, and genre. It would also recommend that children under the age of six are accompanied by an adult when playing any game.
Unlike most countries, China doesn’t have a self-regulating ratings body like the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, which assigns age and content ratings to games launching in North America.
To help fill that void, Tencent and company are hoping to roll out their new system after it has been assessed by a panel of expert researchers, press members, and gaming execs — although it remains unclear how exactly it would be enforced.
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2019