Young Chinese Gamers Given Point Penalties After Playing For Too Long
from the 1/2-up dept
Last year, Chinese authorities decided that they'd try to fight video game "addiction" among the nation's youth by forcing game companies to make games less fun after three hours of continuous play, and to make players' characters' abilities "severely limited" after five straight hours. Apparently that didn't do the trick, as the government now says that game companies must only give young players half their usual number of points after three hours, and then after five hours, they can score no points at all. While this is a little bit more palatable than some of the other methods the country has tried to treat internet "addicts" in the country (like shock therapy), it still seems a little bit misguided. The fact that so many people supposedly can't live without playing games or going on line is just a manifestation of some deeper issue, and it isn't simply a result of the availability of video games or net cafes.
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No girls...
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Re: No girls...
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Careers
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Re: Careers
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Re: Re: Careers
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Re: Careers
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Revenue
Most online games are 'Farmed' now, where groups of players will generate in-game revenue which is then sold to other players around the World for real money.
Due to low pay, earning up to $50 - $100 a month 'playing' a game can seem very attractive to unemployed Chinese teenagers. Most of the farming groups come from China or Russia, where Internet Cafés have become offices for these players, as Internet access in the home is still rare and expensive, the cost of PC's is also high.
The Chinese Government should be looking at ways to encourage the 'addicts' to capitilise on this business opportunity, rather than penalise them for it.
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Re: Revenue
The Chinese Government should be looking at ways to encourage the 'addicts' to capitilise on this business opportunity, rather than penalise them for it.
Sounds nice but like most governing bodies they would only go for that if:
1. The government took the lion's share of the profit.
2. The 'addict' would be required to collect information on her/his customers to report to the government.
3. The government would somehow still tax the meager earnings of said 'addict', even after the effects of reason 1. that I just listed above. So in the end all they would be really getting is their monthly bill paid for them by the government. It wouldn't be the addicts capitalizing on the business opportunity it would be the government capitalizing on an addiction.
Any one of those reasons would drive a lot (but I doubt all) of online game players away (and reason 2 would drive away alot of customers), thus defeating the idea of capitalizing on it and/or causing the government to exploit the remaining players for everything they can.
And just to be clear this is not a poke specifically at the Chinese government, this is a poke at all governments.
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Revenue
These people should not be farming game currency for Real World Money, because that job violates the Terms of Service for 99% of the games they do this for, of the popular "World of Warcraft" and "Guild Wars".
In fact the solution is simple, they should get real jobs and do something worth while. If they can't find a real job, then they're doing something wrong or not willing to do what it takes to get a job. Besides the Military is always an option, be it the U.S. or foreign. Yeah it's gonna suck but nobody said life was easy, in fact buy a helmet cause it's gonna hurt. The Government should be looking at other job market opportunities to give them a better option, not just making it taboo. (which is a big lure to some as well)
So far as these "Farmers" losing their jobs, GOOD read the TOS of most games, and it IS a violation hence the thousands of ban's across these games.
Do I feel bad for them, not in the slightest considering I work two jobs just to make ends meet none of which damage anyone or anyones game.
(also side note, if you don't think it hurts anyone, then your probably ignorant to economics or just guilty of it yourself)
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Re: Revenue
I made no mention as to whether farming is good or bad, I just stated the facts as to what is happening.
I am sure that millions more Chinese youth joining the Military is also going to make this world a safer place..
Not sure what this reference was to? (also side note, if you don't think it hurts anyone, then your probably ignorant to economics or just guilty of it yourself)
ah well, back to the safe virtual world.... /sigh
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the reality of it...
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and you probably still earn 8 times as much working half as long..and enjoy a lifestyle 10 times more comfortable. and you are talking about damaging someone's game...think about it..a game.
i'm not saying i think what they are doing is right.. i'm just saying dont make light of other peoples situation which you know little about.
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and you probably still earn 8 times as much working half as long..and enjoy a lifestyle 10 times more comfortable. and you are talking about damaging someone's game...think about it..a game.
i'm not saying i think what they are doing is right.. i'm just saying dont make light of other peoples situation which you know little about.
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Won't work
If one game limits them after 3 hours, they'll just find another game to play for the rest of the time.
Or multiple log-ons.
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Not important
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Tomorrow's reasoning
You should ask yourself why playing video games until death happens with frequency in China and not as frequently everywhere else. It's because their online MMO life has a persona that actually progresses throughout life, becomes wealthy and strong, has a reason to exist other than making Nike shoes, and has a measure of freedom that they lack in real life.
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@ me
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How exactly would this work?
Granted it's a stupid idea either way, and censorship is just plain wrong. Nothing we can do about it though, hopefully it at least has the good side effect of re-balancing the in-game worlds by reducing the number of gold/item farmers.
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limit game playing time
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