China’s regulators said to slow their approval of new online games, as Beijing’s campaign against gaming addiction heats up
- Sources said the move to slow down new video game approvals is in line with Beijing’s initiative to reduce gaming addiction in minors
- It is unclear when this delay in new game licences will ease up
The licensing process for new games had already slowed down for more than a month, according to a person who was briefed about the meeting, but declined to be named because the information is private.
Another person, who was also briefed on the discussions, said new game approvals would be on hold “for a while” because the priority was to “cut the number of new games” and “reduce gaming addiction” in the country, which is the world’s biggest video gaming market. This source, who declined to be named because the matter discussed remains confidential, also described the approval of new games in the first half of this year as being “a bit too aggressive”.
A third person, who attended the meeting, said delays in the licensing process were needed to “ensure a smooth and successful deployment” of measures to reduce gaming addiction in minors.
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China reportedly slows down online game approvals as crackdown on video game addiction continues
The NPPA, which is in charge of licensing video games in the country, has not published the list of approved titles for August, breaking its routine of announcing newly licensed games either in the middle or at the end of each month since May 2019. Between 80 to 100 games are usually approved each month.The regulator did not immediately reply to a request for comment.