China limits online gaming

SAS

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The Chinese government has announced a system to prohibit long term playing on many popular RPGs, including World of Warcraft and Lineage II.

The system monitors a players time allowing them 3 hours of 'healthy' gaming time, with anything over 5 hours becoming 'unhealthy'. At this point the system starts to lower the players online character level and item effectiveness is decreased. After 5 hours the character's level is reset to a mimimum, which is designed to stop players logging off and back on again within a short time period (the timer does not reset). Luckily after a full 5 hour break the character will be reset to its original state.

"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.

Good idea? Or bad? What's your view? Would you be happy for this sort of system on your games?

Source: Shacknews
 

chrs

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First Post, Hope I don't offend :twak: .

I definately think this is a bad thing, If I want to become additicted to a game and or play for as long as I want then so be it :D .

If anything, rather than enforce these plans, they should encourage regular breaks and the effects if you don't etc. through advertising.

People should be more sensible when it comes to playing games anyway with taking regular breaks similar to the one's you take at work.

Games tend to lose their addictiveness as time goes on anyway, it's just what happens, saying that though Halo 2 on xbox live is still as addicitive as when I bought it :D

IMO People who think up these ideas have no idea and have never become addicted with a game before i.e. MPs.
 

Hansmoleman

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i dont see any point in them enforcing this, what if somebody just plays 1 day a week for 6 hours? is that classed as them being addicted, and making thier character the minimum level again. also why cant young people become addicted to online games if they want? they could just go and play a different one anyway, 5 hours world of warcraft followed by 5 hours of lineage rinse repeat :)
 

TdC

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chrs said:
People should be more sensible when it comes to playing games anyway with taking regular breaks similar to the one's you take at work.


Hello and welcome :)

I think it's a good idea, but badly implemented by the Chinese powers that be.

Consider the following example: at my job we have a program running on our computers that monitors our work rate and forces us to take breaks by blocking keyboard and mouse input. This in the name of ergonomics and anti-RSI measures. Now I take plenty of breaks all by myself, and so do my coworkers, but when the program "forces" me to break, because my cps typing rate breaks 100 or I've been typing for five minutes continuously, or whatever, it just bugs the hell out of me and I want to kill the nearest person in a violent and bloody manner.

now I can imagine that a hardcore rpg player will freak out in a similar manner if (s)he's in the middle of a raid and gets his char's level reduced to 1 by some big brother-esque thing watching his every move with a cold, yet strangely benevolent eye because the playing time just exceded what Mother thinks was best. I mean...they're killing each other over theft of game items, so the frustration level is already peaking with some of the crazies.

then again, I don't play massive rpgs online heheh :)
 

chrs

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Forcing breaks on people at work is a good thing though, you can't be shouted at for not doing any work then :clap:
 

weevil

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How will they do it? via ip logging time? There will easily be ways around it, they will find a way
 

weevil

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I just read a bit more the actual article, they are going to code this 3 hour thing into all games shipped for the chinese market am i right?

If so what's to stop them buying it in English shipped from the uk or us?
 

Honza

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Well, this regulation has it's good reasons - it limits you from sitting at PC day/night nonstop and thus helps to prevent health troubles etc.... but limit it in 5 hours interval is kinda stupid. Much more reasonable would be taking this restriction in whole-week period.. ie let's say 50 hours a week or so...
 

KevinUK

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They will just go and sit down to watch TV instead so whats the point?
Er 50 hours?? My day job is 35 hours, so you are saying its OK to game for 50 hours? :eek6:
 

Chilly

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weevil said:
I just read a bit more the actual article, they are going to code this 3 hour thing into all games shipped for the chinese market am i right?

If so what's to stop them buying it in English shipped from the uk or us?
you never heard of the "Great Firewall of China" ? The governement filters ALL telecomms coming into china for porn, politicla stuff and a few other things like online gambling and non-chinese game services (or at least, they will soon once this comes into effect).

I think its a bloody good idea, and only the chinese have the balls to do something this crazy.

I played daoc for fucking ages, and I really wish I hadnt, cos I spent so long playing it while i was in A levels/1st year uni I fucked them both up!
 

Wai

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terrible idea

they ban smth that doesn't hurt anyone passivly or non-passivly why? because its "unhealthy" the country the makes and consumes more cigarettes than anyone in the world arguing that playing a game in unhealthy is a laughable

games don't kill ppl, or make u fail exams... ppl do that by making bad decisions.

I flunked my college exams not because of an mmo because of a fps i was addicted to, but looking back i'd rather be addicted to a game and flunk again than be addicted to smth that can actually kill me or the ppl round me

Like i said tho the country that makes more cigarettes and conumes more than any other nation can hardly say anything about healthy and non healthy addictions
 

Platin

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If i had kids - defenitely, at the same time I think that parents who don't want their kids to play as much got other methods. But for hard working parents who are away alot - it sounds perfect :).
 

Chilly

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Wai said:
terrible idea

they ban smth that doesn't hurt anyone passivly or non-passivly why? because its "unhealthy" the country the makes and consumes more cigarettes than anyone in the world arguing that playing a game in unhealthy is a laughable

games don't kill ppl, or make u fail exams... ppl do that by making bad decisions.

I flunked my college exams not because of an mmo because of a fps i was addicted to, but looking back i'd rather be addicted to a game and flunk again than be addicted to smth that can actually kill me or the ppl round me

Like i said tho the country that makes more cigarettes and conumes more than any other nation can hardly say anything about healthy and non healthy addictions
have you considered that they are perhaps the largest country on the planet population wise and thus any numerical statistic not given in terms of "per head" is completely irrelivant.
 

Wai

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even if u give per head then the fact they produce more still holds true

also i think its 1/3 of all young men in china are likly to die from smoking related diseases so again the per head quote has no relevance

2/3 of all chinese men smoke added to the fact this kind of stuff is adevertised

"Here's some exciting medical news from the Chinese government: Smoking is great for your health.

Cigarettes, according to China's tobacco authorities, are an excellent way to prevent ulcers.

They also reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease, relieve schizophrenia, boost your brain cells, speed up your thinking, improve your reactions and increase your working efficiency."

Also 90 per cent of smokers in china believe their habit has little effect on their health, or is good for them

still wanna argue that its per head and not percentage based in china?

like i said a country that thinks smoking is fine and can only give positive effects goes and puts restrictions on computer gaming... smth tells me they're well off the mark here... or even aiming at the wrong target to begin with.
 

Wai

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just to put the final nail in the coffin here is a quote from state owned (i think) popular magazine in china

“Smoking removes your troubles and worries, holding a cigarette is like having a walking stick in your hand, giving you support."

“Quitting smoking would bring you misery, shortening your life.”

As i said smoking kills ppl who have this addiction and ppl around them yet this is seen as a healthy habit.

A very small minority play online games and lose it and kill ppl or themselves and then this is seen as a healthy habit?

i'm willing to bet if i had a statistic for the number of ppl who have died because of playing an online game or any kind of game worldwide that the number of ppl who die each year putting trousers on in the UK ALONE would be a higher figure
 

Wij

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Smoking does reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. It's due to the 4PP. Enjoy this factoid.
 

Wai

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aye reduce the risk but increase other things ten fold :p

its like saying crossing the m4 with yr eyes closed is good excersise and will reduce heart problems :p

also not insulting the chinese have no problem with them what so ever, but seeing this thread is based on the chinese government its a bit hard not to critisise them when the thread is clearly aimed an an opinion over thier decision.

(also the only ppl i may have been "insulting", if i was even doing that, was the chinese government for this decision)
 

Chilly

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Wai, my argument was purely mathematical. I just got annoyed at you giving apparently absolute statistics. In your post you amended that with nice %age based stats which is all fine and well, I'm not refuting the fact that china smokes a fuck load. But the government are correct in a few things, tobacco certainly does have medicinal uses, its just that smoking 40 a day seriously, SERIOUSLY, outweighs any benefits you may gain. Perhaps if they just had chewing tobacco like they do in sweden it'd all be good!
 

Wai

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nah went overboard with the stats (+ i was a little drunk last night and trying to convince myself i wasn't :p)

all silly stats aside tho and no mention of the smoking stuff, i still think its up to the individual. I mean i can't be sure but they must put warning on the inside of manuals in china as they do here warning the dangers of excessive playing and to take breaks if ppl don't abide by them thats thier own choice.

Like i said tho aswell i can see what addictions to games can do i flunked college because of it but i'd still not change anything if i went back cos i'd rather be addicted to that and flunk college than be addicted to say booze (altho the fact i said i was drunk last night surly can't look good for me now) :p

just my opinion tho... but i can see what they're doing and i can see yr point too :)
 

Deadmanwalking

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Who here thought he had passed college with full marks?

Anyone?

And your argument is completely flawed i'm afraid. Because they don't ban smoking does not mean they cannot put restrictions on other factors of life.

We went to war in Iraq. Does that mean they can't ban guns?
I personally think it is a great idea in principle.

The only downside being that sad morons who vegtate in there room all day, won't commit suicide due to "depression" or lack of a social life. Saving them from themselves.

Yet another intervention to natural selection. God damnit.
 

DaGaffer

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The Chinese restrict gaming because it affects the productivity of their good little worker bees; it has nothing to do with worries about the health or wellbeing of the individuals concerned. If I was feeling particularly cynical I'd probably think that encouraging smoking is a calculated ploy by the Chinese to; a. make money out fag taxes (natch), and b. keep the mortality rate up because the Chinese can't really afford to have more people and really can't afford to have more old people to support.
 

haarewin

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Wai said:
They also reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease, [snip] boost your brain cells, speed up your thinking, improve your reactions and increase your working efficiency."

smoking does reduce the risk of parkinson's and alzheimer's. im 90% sure that nicotine boosts the efficiency of acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter involved in short term memory and other brain functions. (read that about 2 years ago, so i might be wrong.)
i dont smoke, so im not defending it, but when im older im gonna start chewing nicotine gum just for the protective effects of nicotine.

er, and yeah, gg chinese for limiting your workers. communism rocks! :(
 

]AC[dRuM

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Considering China has a history of terrible modern day human rights abuses I very much doubt this is in any way shape or form being implemented with it's main priority to protect people. More so the top brass are worrying about the overall effect of Western influence the net will have on a younger generation.

It's your right as an individual to download and live your life on a C drive if you have no other responsibilities this is fine, but as soon as you start to neglect others to fullfill this internet habit then it does become a problem. Being a no lifer recluse that doesn't wash, eats cerial all day and lives in your dressing gown is fine as long as you are not neglecting your responsibilities to your family etc.

Only we as individuals can be the judge of that, if your wife is packing her bags or you look at the calander and your 40 with no partner / wife, kids or life except your trusty c drive buddies then maybe you have spent a little too much time on here? Maybe this is what you want?

The ability to make adult descisions in a free thinking world is great and is a luxury that this modern society allows many of us to fullfill, problem is many don't think, they just do...........
 

Wai

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begining to see the point aye it prolly is cos of worker productivity not health (my mistake)

still makes u wonder how far china will go then to make an extra few grand of money.
 

Alliandre

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Politics can always dehumanise people, and communism seems to have done it more than democracy overall, mainly because of the lack of voice for the masses.
 

CrystalFist

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Im moving to China the 10 sep SOON!!!
Not that il be playing online games there but its interresting to hear about what different countrys do to stop addiction.
I think its a good idea only its the game makers that should be making it not the goverment.

If the problems of mmorgp addiction continues to grow and :mad: in worstcase destoy lives, the developers will be FORCED to make stuff like this themselfes.
 

Cirandi

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Deadmanwalking said:
If only crack wasn't so expensive. That would put a serious dent in MMORPGs sales.

Crack is cheap, just not advisable to use it since you, like, lose your teeth and get all twitchy. And other stuff.
 

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