"Solving" video game addiction is as easy as "solving" alcoholism. But China's state-run video game watchdog appears poised to call its recent efforts to curb gaming among children "successful."
The Financial Times and the to Reuters reported that China's state video game commission released a report on Tuesday that says the country has somehow managed to "solve" underage gaming addiction. The country has had new regulations since August 2021, when it tried to impose a ban on children's use of the toys that limited them to one hour of play on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The report from the China Game Publishers Association Publications Committee, or GPC, states that 75% of minors played less than three hours a week. The report also shows that China is willing to back away from tough regulations that have plagued the country's gaming industry. China's big game publishers are stepping up their efforts to crack down on the amount of time minors spend playing games, according to a Reuters report. Tencent even uses technology as invasive as facial recognition to prevent minors from playing at night.
The relaxed treatment of children's gaming addiction comes as tech companies Sony and Microsoft try to acquire more Chinese-made toys. Sony plans to invest over $140.000 in each game company that will partner with it.
Microsoft, on the other hand, plans to create a team to seek more Chinese games, according to unnamed sources cited by Reuters. The developers of the massively popular Genshin Impact, China's HoYoverse, have reportedly been approached by Microsoft to make it an Xbox exclusive in 2020, though apparently no deal has been reached.
