Government blocks gamers from playing online...

[The Frenchman 0]

I feel bad for chinese MMORPG gamers...

Quote[/b] ]Shanghai.  August 23.  INTERFAX-CHINA - The Chinese Government unveiled a new system Tuesday to prevent individuals from playing online games for more than three consecutive hours, which must be installed for every online game in the country.

"This timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," Kou Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual and Internet Publication Department of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said during a press conference.

The new system, developed under the guidance of the GAPP, stops individuals from playing online games for more than three hours by cutting the abilities of game characters. The new system cuts the ability level of a player's online game character by half after he or she has played for more than three consecutive hours. Once a player has played for more than five consecutive hours, the system cuts the ability level of that player's character to the lowest level allowed by the game.

The system also lowers the ability of players to find treasures or prizes available in an online game after they have played for more than three consecutive hours.

Furthermore, the system keeps track of hours of play. Individuals who immediately log back onto a game after three hours of consecutive play will continue to have the ability of their game character lowered by the system. Players must be logged off for a minimum of five hours before the system resets.

The GAPP has defined the playing of online games for less than three consecutive hours as "healthy," playing three to five consecutive hours as "tiring," and playing for more than five consecutive hours as "unhealthy."  

In addition, seven of China's largest online gaming firms pledged Tuesday to "sacrifice short-term revenues" to create a "healthy" environment for young internet users. Companies signing onto the "Beijing Accord" were Shanda, NetEase, The9, Optisp, Kingsoft, SINA, and Sohu. These seven companies also pledged to deploy the system when development is completed.

Development of the system is scheduled for completion at the end of September 2005. Internal testing is scheduled to begin in October of 2005. After internal testing, trial operations of the system will be held using the games "The Legend of Mir II" and "The World of Legend" operated by Shanda, "Westward Journey Online" and "Fantasy Westward Journey Online" operated by NetEase, "World of Warcraft" and "MU" operated by The9, "JX Online" and "First Myth Online" operated by Kingsoft, "The Legend of Mir 3G" operated by Optisp, "Lineage II" operated by SINA, and "Blade Online" operated by Sohu.

Compulsory deployment of the new system is expected to begin for all massive multiplayer online role-playing games and casual games in China in late 2005 or early 2006

Seems to be reasonable to me. Everyone knows World of Warcraft is a threat to the national security of China.

[Tovarish 0]

Dude, I want this system in Canada!

When your buddies start passing up booze and women for a Molten Core run...

[j w 0]

Probably beacuase of the Chinese man that died infront of his computer after a three day streek of gaming online.

He died of de-hydration, so this is probably why...

[iNeo 0]

Sounds sound.

[Panda-PL- 0]

They should also put a limit to masturbation then.

You've just seen the true face of totalitarism.

Also many words are blocked by chineese web search engines.

Like "free tibet" for example.

China is a horrible country to live in.

[DBR_ONIX 0]

..that seems very.. *needs new word again*..

It's another thing that needs to have bounarys that just aren't there.. For example.. Will they require all computers to have timers in them that stop you using it more than x hours a day?

It seem to me the exact same as an electronic curfew.. If there was a curfew, how many people would complain about this? Would be be taken kindly? Nope..

If someone decides to play Counter Strike (or anyother game.. well, mainly Counter Strike...... Joking..) for 3 days solid, and not eat/drink anything, im my opinion, they lack the common sense that someone needs to live, so brought this on them self..

But, all this will do is spawn a huge group of hackers that will work out a way around it, and anyone that is affected by this will be people who do spend ages playing these games, who will then find these hacks and it will make no change other than piss people of.. People who don't spend that ammount of time playing games will consider it still an invasion of privary etc, people who do spend will try (And suceed) in bypassing it, and contiune spending 3+ hours a day playing...

Instead of putting all that money towards developing and impementing this, why not give the money to charity? I'm sure it'll cost millions to do.. If "Å1 a month can feed a starving child for x days, or buy some important stuff"</standard-donation-advert-dialouge>, imagine what a million pounds will do! Instead of investing money in yourself (where that means a country..), where if enoug people are playing these games to merit impelemting it (And have the money to), invest the money in people who don't have enough money to live, let along spend 19 hours a day playing a video game online...

...hippie land again? Damn..

- Ben

[berghoff 11]

=) I hope they don't block OFP hehe.

[Guest Ti0n3r]

This is just too damn disgusting.

[Stealth3 0]

Its becoming a huge problem in China. Its good to see the government doing something about it. They are not letting technology destroy their young people which is good.

[Colossus 2]

Its becoming a huge problem in China.  Its good to see the government doing something about it.  They are not letting technology destroy their young people which is good.

In a way yes, but democraticly it's an outrage.

I don't what anyone to control how much I play, it's my own goddamn will!

It's in a way good for the young people but I wouldn't be happy about if it was happening here, I would have protested.

But in a country like China I would surely just shut up, I don't want a second Tiananmen Square protest like in 1989.

EDIT: I really hope that this young generation kills todays system in China one day, it's not good.

When I first think about that kind of system, I wonder when N. Korea will collapse

[DBR_ONIX 0]

EDIT: I really hope that this young generation kills todays system in China, it's not good.

Hmm, thats possible.. In an overly logical look at the world :

Look how much the world's changed in the last 40-50 years.. It's changed a lot, including computers going form, erm, not a lot to what your sitting at just now..

Older generations were around when PC's were unheard of, and thats how they will have growen up.

The "Young generation" has growen up with computers shoved anywhere theres need, or space.. It's a big difference

Now super-generalising : The "old" generation doesn't "get" computers ( Sorry ). And it's this group of people that are incharge of new things like this (Remeber : I'm super-generalising ).

So logicaly the "new" generation will eventualy take over this role..

..sorry, enough of my random thoughts

Back more on-topic : I really think this is complete *ahem*, and, thats assuming it will even go ahead, will be hacked to peices and probobaly droped because it's costing to much to keep updating..

Either that or they'll spend millions and millions of their currancy, and it'll be bomb proof, the goverment will think "Hey, this works great, lets see what else we can opress" (Okay, maybe not), other goverments will copy.. ...

- Ben

[Stealth3 0]

Quote[/b] ]EDIT: I really hope that this young generation kills todays system in China one day, it's not good.

At least their doing something so they won't turn up like America.

In China drug adicts are killed, while in the US, their given threatment, then they go and take the drugs again and probably kill somebody too. You guys might think the Chinese handled the protest in 89 in a bad way, but ask yourself this question: How do you control a population of 1 billion+? Sometimes the innocents have to die. And who cares if the people like it or not. They are doing it to benefit China in the future. That way they will be forced to do something else instead of wasting 50%+ of their time on entertainment.

[red oct 2]

drugs aren't the main reason for violent crime. i would rather see marijuana decriminalized. why should the government waist billions fighting a loosing battle trying to keep it out of the nation when they could just as easily make billions selling some weed. besides its not as if its any more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.

[ralphwiggum 6]

no China versus US debate,

no drugs debate

[Harnu 0]

I choose ignorance.

I blame communism.

[ozanzac 0]

C'mon.....as if this would stop a hardcore gamer anyway.

Cracks, hacks and mods anyone?

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

C'mon.....as if this would stop a hardcore gamer anyway.

Cracks, hacks and mods anyone?

They will just loose their head

[crashdome 3]

The inability to control a population is not a sign of weakness but lack of proper perspective.

Has anyone stopped and asked why the kids are spending so much time in these games?

I see it as natural effects of globalization in a world where nations and politics still dictate the majority of policies. I see it as the natural resistance to inept progress with technology that held so much promise.

Do we work less and benefit more lately because of technology? Do we structure our technology for purposes that serve anything other than the benefit of wealth and power?

I am glad I am not a kid today. If I were, yes, I would probably waste my life on entertainment knowing that even though technology has made leaps, our politics, ethics, and economics is resistant to change leaving us in a vicious wormhole.

These poor kids are being strapped into a world of ancient ideology because our leaders/elders dictate that the children must lead their lives over again.

They have no nobility or pride in things other than what glimmers and beeps because it is the only alternative to the mundane. And there are those that exploit it. That is the problem.

[WhoCares 0]

Now I wonder does this system keep track of playing any game or is the tracking bound to each game itself - would make people switch to another game after three hours

And why is it bound to MMORPG (is it actually)? What'S the difference between 8h CS or WoW?

[EiZei 0]

I blame communism.

Communism? In china for over 10 years now? Pfff...

Wonder why they would restrict online gaming, it is probably one of the least "subversive" form of entertainment and quite malleable for propaganda purposes (*cough*america's army*cough*).

Quote[/b] ]

And why is it bound to MMORPG (is it actually)? What'S the difference between 8h CS or WoW?

Of course I have no statistics to back this up but I think MMORPG players are far more suspectible to spending excessive amounts of time developing their characters and doing the same tasks over and over again. Never really understood what made those people want to _pay_ for doing repetitive simple tasks that most people get paid for.

[Panda-PL- 0]

I think it really is important to notice that china has nothing good to offer to young people.

The freedom is limited, the iniciative is limited, goverment wants to spy everything, no perspectives for change.

On the other hand computer gaiming gives a chance to "be someone". The RPG games have simply more to offer then dull chineese reality.

However the goverment will fight to force its people to remain in reality. The dilusive freedom given by games is perhaps seen as a threat. If officially china is a paradise on earth then people running away from its reality and turning towards freedom offered by games must tease the leaders.

Another matter is goverment's fear of chineese extanding contacts with foreigners. There is no way to controll or forbid random talks on game servers durring play.

In addition the MMORG games show a well prosperring liberal capitalism, right? That's dangerous.

Plus Internet as an independent medium is a natural China's enemy. Search engines are blocked, servers are blocked, acces to information is being limited, and the propaganda is trying to scare people away from it. I think it is obvious it is a part of this campaign.

BTW. Not only AA, but also BF2 - I doubt if chineese would allow to shoot at PRC's soldiers.

[EiZei 0]

@ Aug. 25 2005,12:35)]Another matter is goverment's fear of chineese extanding contacts with foreigners. There is no way to controll or forbid random talks on game servers durring play.

Usually technical (pings to china are often quite horrendous) and lingual barriers separate westerners and the chinese quite well by itself.

Quote[/b] ]BTW. Not only AA, but also BF2 - I doubt if chineese would allow to shoot at PRC's soldiers.

Well, they banned previous battlefield game so I doubt this one is going to get spared either.

Quote[/b] ]

In addition the MMORG games show a well prosperring liberal capitalism, right? That's dangerous.

Have you played any MMORPGs that feature non-controlled economies? A clusterfuck I tell you. Ultima online was probably the saddest example when you couldnt get a half-arsed weapon for gazillion pieces of furniture and anything on sight was hunted to death.

[DBR_ONIX 0]

Quote[/b] ]

Usually technical (pings to china are often quite horrendous) and lingual barriers separate westerners and the chinese quite well by itself.

Erm, that is hardly going to make the goverment block gaming for anymore than 3 hours a day Might stop people, but it wouldn't cause anyone to block playing games to other countrys..

What CrashDome said was similar to what I was trying to say on the last page, but he put it a feck of a lot better

Mainly that games weren't the cause of what-ever-problems-their-causing, but rather the "soloution" to another problem (having no privary, having things like not being able to play games online for more than 3 hours etc..)

Quote[/b] ]And why is it bound to MMORPG (is it actually)? What'S the difference between 8h CS or WoW?

I think it applys to all online games, just MMORPGames are the best example of players who will suffer from this the most..

Typical WoW session thing could be over 3 hours easily enough, to play CS online for over 3 hours you have to be ins-.. dedicated..

I wonder what it will take for politics in general to change for a more free world.. Probobaly completely wiping out anyone with power and starting over.. Oh well

- Ben

[4 IN 1 0]

i would just blame those "brains"(or so if they like to call themselfs) at the power top and the media(reporters for example), they are just too smart and too good on making something not too bad at all into "evil"  

men i wish those "brains" are braindead and we could get some replacements who are "dumb" enought to give us more freedom

[JdB 151]

I fully agree, with 3 hours of Counterstrike or Battlefield 2 experience, every nutcase could start his own rebel alliance

Let's give Tibet some free copies of VBS1 to give them a huge army in a couple of months