Report: China considering further restrictions for young players

China's government is reportedly looking to crack down even harder on game time for young players. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the government is aiming to "further improve the level of protection and bolster [current] measures." 

The comments were made by Ao Ran, the secretary general for China's Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association. In his recent report at a two-day conference in Guangzhou, China, he called the protection of minors "long-term and fundamental work."

From a report in November 2022, China has "basically solved" the problem of game addiction in young players. But in the SCMP, there's a lack of general information about Ao's report, including why he would want further restrictions if the issue is already "basically solved."

The restrictions first began in late 2021, on the basis of protecting minors. Under these rules, players under 18 can only play video games between 8 PM and 9 PM on weekends and legal holidays. 

Game developers have had to comply with China's rules in order to release in the financially lucrative region, and Ao indicated he wanted developers to "resolutely implement the requirements of the regulators." One suggestion he made was for developers to use facial recognition technology. 

As of August 2022, analytics firm Niko Partners showed there were 83 million players between the ages of 6 and 17 years old in 2022. In 2020, that number was at 122 million for that demographic. 

It would appear that China's strategy is effective, but Niko predicted that number may jump to 115 million young players by 2026. The reason for that spike may be owed to esports, which continues to be popular for that particular demographic.