China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

[TheGrandMom]

http://www.interfax.cn/showfeature.asp?aid=4913


"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."



LOL

[Agnastar]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

...And does this system correlate with FFXI?

[TheGrandMom]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

"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."

[Agnastar]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Perhaps...
If Square REALLY wanted too...They could do a little handywork on their servers and game clients to bypass this shananagins.

[Caspian]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

So, I guess the parents have just given up on taking an interest in their children's lives altogether? Also, something about this just seems off (read: a hoax), seems like they would have to have agreements with all the publishers. It could be done with the ones in China, but with SE in Japan and WoW here in the states...I dont see them just jumping at the chance to lose customers. Seems like some ppl would just give up playing completely if they couldnt play as often as they do.

I can see it now: You're in a great pt in Boyadha Tree for a while, when suddenly in the middle of a fight half the pt's lvls drop in half and they all wipe.

[AgentBrownEye]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

wow, thats either really messed up or really funny. i'm not too sure. but does it measure total game play time? or just straight time? for instance if i lived in china and i was a playing for 3 hours, could i log back out and log back in and get a fresh timer?

[Caspian]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 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.

Nope...b/c big brother is watching.
Also, would this affect Hong Kong? I'm still not sure how everything is working b/w them and the rest of China.

[fastcart]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Imagine trying to kill an hnm and your time limit hits. yeah... that's gonna get so hacked...

I'm trying to find other sources of this news. I asked whether interfax was a legit site myself. So far only that site has it.

"World of Warcraft" and "MU" operated by The9

The9??

"We'll just play american games. -Xaio" (My made up quote.)

[lionx]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

I can see the reason for this, being that China needs to focus more on its educational system at the moment and kids cannot focus on games(as asians tend to have huge gaming sessions) because their country is weak at the moment and need to advance fast to defend themselves against the US and the Japanese.

However i am sure i will be flamed because i see that in a different light. Oh well. LOL to those that doesnt see it. I am sure when the country is stronger this will be a non-issue.

[Macht]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Defend against us?

Making it sound like they are trying to educate them for putting them into some militar branch or something. That is definatly unlikely considering that China has 10 times the amount of people in active military then we do. No need for them to draft and already outnumbers our forces, it'll be almost like watching the FFXI intro >.>

As far as using something that would clearly beat them say nuclear force, that's way to risky because it might start something with all the other super powers and their nuclear force. Again still just plain numbers can outbeat tactical strengths much of the time. Then there are times were tactical strength wins.

The most ideal would be greater number and greater tactical strength that's unbeatable. Outside of that China with the flat out larger military force just medicore weaponry and they are still a good threat.

[Caspian]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Just seems more like something a parent should take responsibility for and not the federal government. You can call it unhealthy if you want, but does the government step in and tell you that you eat too much and that you have to take long breaks from eating?
Reminds me of the parental warnings the put on video games and music. The government shouldn't have to step in and become everyone's parents b/c the real parents are either to busy, lazy, or just apathetic.

[lionx]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Like men really matters when you got like 26,000 more nukes >_>

Its not education in the military, its more like they need to advance their country faster, and they have different methods. So far the Americans and the Chinese have some uneasiness with each other with Americans preaching free trade yet refusing so far to trade anything with China even if they offer more money to invest in for example i saw in the news weeks ago..an oil company of some sort in which America denied thinking they are too much a threat to say yes to. So because of that China has to look at other waters. And if you really dont know, Chinese military is reletively weak still, not even 1/5 the power of the Japanese Defense forces, so thats ridiculous.


Caspian: Unfortunetly i feel that its a different thing too. Right now theres alot of people pushing China to do something with the Japanese and Taiwan and US etc etc. They are being pushed around alot and unlike the US where they are the top of the heap, hence whatever happens wouldnt matter as much economically. Sure its a different approach than what you might think they should do, but i can see where they are comming from and i dont really feel anyone can do much about it.

Thats my view, i dont really look at it with the Western view so feel free to disagree. I dont want to get into a huge argument about this even though i am sure some will say things that are less than mature >>; Its my view and i feel thats what they are seeing too. This would be less an issue i feel if China is on equal footing with America Economically and Military-wise as well.

[Macht]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Just seems more like something a parent should take responsibility for and not the federal government. You can call it unhealthy if you want, but does the government step in and tell you that you eat too much and that you have to take long breaks from eating?
Reminds me of the parental warnings the put on video games and music. The government shouldn't have to step in and become everyone's parents b/c the real parents are either to busy, lazy, or just apathetic.

China isn't a federal government. Last I checked it was communist still, which means yes they can tell you when to sleep, were, and with who if they wanted. As well as when to piss, eat, drink, and how many hits daily you will take and by what type of object. >.>

[lionx]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Mmm well at the very least i feel the way China does buisness is not communist at all if anything.

[Caspian]

Re: China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours

Oh, the differences in a nation's propaganda. China thinks they have to defend against us, we think they'll attack us. Makes you wonder what the honest truth is.

Anyway, my thoughts on the thread topic are two posts above. Just wanted to express my amusement with different impressions countries have of eachother.

EDIT: Yeah Macht, I know its communist. More just expressing my views on how it should be. Probably has to do with my views on politics at home, being more in favor of a small federal government. That and it just reminds me of how ppl try to pin blame on something that has nothing to do with in, in order to divert attention from the root of the problem (i.e. ppl saying video games are making kids go to school and shoot ppl...god forbid parents actually learn to discipline their children, then maybe some of this wouldnt happen).