News Chinese government to regulate amount of gameplay

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/04/12/Chinese_government_to_regulate_amount_of_gameplay/

 

Man, this sucks, I've probably spent 14 hours straight gaming before

Luckily their government have issued them identity cards to help control this system; and people want them over here...

 

there is a slight problem.... there are parts of the game that you have to be playing for more than 3 hours.

 

Funny idea: this issue kick starts the political reform the government has been attempting to subdue for the past two centuries.

 

14 hours??? What did you go get pizza? Sure I have spent more than 30 hours playing with breaks no longer than going to the bathroom, checking on the servers, getting others hooked up (was sort of a host) and getting pizza. And none of those would take longer than 15mins.

EDIT: Should contribute something toward the article.

I think it is a good thing in some ways, but infringing on rights in others.

 

Well with parents seemingly unable to take responsibility for their own childrens welfare these days, it seems the Chineese government have made a bold move.

Good or bad I can't decide.

 

I've resisted the pull of MMORPGS thus far in life thankfully, though Age of Conan may change that. My worst sin was at the age of twelve I shunned some friends who had come over to stay and played The Secret of Monkey Island 1 and 2 all the way through in a speed-run attempt which took a good number of hours.

I also spent an entire weekend once in second year of uni playing games. Everyone went home for the weekend and I stayed alone. They came back 36 hours later and found me eating cold pasta with mayo at the PC (All I had in, I wasn't going to go shopping) When they asked me what I was doing, the only thing I said was:

"I'm playing this cool game called Morrowind. Why don't you go away again?"

My girlfriend wasn't amused.

 

Two years ago when I was a teenager I most likely would've protested, about things like civil rights, freedom of ones self and all that garbage but now I do see a GOOD essence in this logic. Three hours at a time should be enough for one healthy yet potent session.

More importantly, a nations youth can not be lost in some mystical world. In litteriture, art, and stories it's fine, but WOW comes no where close to the expansiveness of the human imagination. When the mind is developing at this "genius" age, you shouldn't lock your imagination hourlessly into anyone thing. I've talked with my students about this, ad they told me it's easy to "get around".
It's funny how nerds look the same in every country. I frequent the net bars here in China, and I get a sweet sniff of nestalgia (in a flithy filthy place) seeing people laugh and giggle starring with absolute serrious concentration at the flat planel shouting ever so crucial tactics to their chums a few stations down. Oh, how the double chinned geeks bring me right back to California.


The average WOW player I see everyday is actually a bit older than me. Around 23 and up, there is always a younger legion of players but for the most part it's us adults who try to escape this twisted and deppressing reallity. The young ones are just experiencing it. India is having similar problems too. WOW is a beautiful game, and is really enchanting to someone that doen't live next to an ocean, snow covered mountains, or a portal to the underworld.

I love blizzard, but WOW sucks. I know about a billion people disagree with me. But I'm more of a "Demons in the Dark" kind of Diablo player.

I know I've ranted here, but if anyone has questions about this subject holler back.

 

The major flaw in your arguement is that you look almost solely at WoW. having not played it I don't know if its any good or not but I'm willing to believe that, as you say, "WOW comes no where close to the expansiveness of the human imagination.".

On the other hand, I know games that do that may end up being subjected to this law. Beyond Good & Evil is one of the most classic games I have ever played - it made me laugh, cry, fall off my chair in fear and left me physically sweating from adrenaline dumped in my veins in some of the chase sequences. Thats not me just saying it either; I actually cried twice whilst playing that game.

So, to know that in the future games of that potency or level of imagination may not get made or released in China because of this law and that if they are then they will be subjected to the laws of that country makes me very sad. If I'm reading a comic or a book or watching a film and I am within the age limit for that material to be appropriate to me then I should be allowed to enjoy it as I wish. I sometimes stay up all night reading a book I can't put down.

On the other hand, one of things that I'll find interesting over the next few months will be how this affects the amount minors play. Do they play MMORPGs sheerly for the competitive element of scoring experience? Or, when that is taken away, will they continue to play in order to remain part of the community, or just to experience the gameplay?

Could be interesting.

 

garbage, huh?

 

This is not the governments dutys to issue such a law that imposes on peoples libertys. It is the parents and theirs alone.

 

I think this reeks of oppression.

While it may have a seemingly narrow focus, it is just one step toward erosion of human rights. To quote my high school 'Law & the Citizen' teacher: "the slippery slope is the most dangerous thing for both the government and the people."

 

They wont be getting the achievment on Graw then that requires you to be playing 8 hours in one session.

I believe an achievement like that is irasponsible anyway. 3 hours is a bit low but then again its childrens health at sake and its a good atempt to get kids out their games console and pc's and maybe, dare i say it, read a book.

 

It's China dude, they don't have human rights.

 

Last time I checked, China was communist which means the State > Individual.

Some games like Guild Wars already had an inbuild system where it prompts you every hour and then issues health warnings after three plus hours. I could see our stupid government using a simular system with Identity cards set to come in though

 

I'm not very familiar with UK law (only what my parents taught me, mostly I know US law having grown up here) but I would think that there is some kind of provision prohibiting laws against human liberties.

 

you have to be joking, right?

china implements a system to encourage people to go out and, y'know, LIVE THEIR LIVES, and you people are harping on about civil liberties!? (note, it's liberties, not libertys. if you spent as much time paying attention in school as you did pwning n00bs online you'd know this by now. it's called GRAMMAR)

nobody is forcing anybody to do anything!

also the law applies to minors only, i believe the government is afforded more control over them than adults.

seriously, i wonder about people's priorities sometimes. anyone who complains that 'oe noe my points dont count after five (goddamned) hours' has serious issues.

 

Am I glad that Hong Kong has a seperate system to China, SERIOUSLY NO JOKE.

 

Card Joe, man I'm not looking soley at WOW, all games have very limited spectrum of allness in comparison to the mind. I think game developers have the creative and artistic ability, but are using technology as a paint brush on an endless canvas to paint what they want to convey... And let's face it, the paintbrush can fall short of the artists vision. Though the game you pointed out, Good and Evil, is one of many games where the people making the game had enthusiasm and passion about what they were doing.

Like great movies and acting in the past - though we've better, more sophisticated tools to make the movies now we to often fall short of creating films as good as in the past. The same ideal can be connected with video games. We have all been touched deeply by some games before... Plots, scenes, script, voice acting, environments or anything else that had stunned us when playing the game for the first time (like the 2D cyber-demon, or the music and scenery in FF7) will seem primitive in time but more than a novelty as it they are classic in thier orgionallity and uniqueness.

Basically, technology has alot of catching up to do to make a simulation thats as amazing as that comic book you discribed.
In the comic book, you are creating the audible sound affects of the environment, in your comic book instead of the same wav. file playing over and over again in a video game, you are creating different voices and feelings apt to the characters you're reading about... Instead of talking with an NPC that has a personality as dynamic as a toaster.

And again, I apologize from straying from the point which is: Demonizing the Chinese government for limiting freedoms yet again... And in a way we gamers, modders, enthusiasts, admins, and good old fashion nerds can connect with- our precious "games".

Don't get me wrong, I love playing games untill dawn... Regardless how monotemuss the game or how crappy I feel in the morning. And if people want to do that you know, they really should have that freedom. But a comprimise would be best I'd think, like instead of 3 hrs a day, why not 90 hours a month? At least if you played for 24 hrs straight you (I pray to God) wouldn't miss it for a couple days, say enough for the weekend! Then, you could put your hand right back on that slimy mouse, and continue your game of choice.

Okay, do I really have to put a sarcastic smiley next to what I'm writing get what I'm really saying?? I thought I was being obviously sarcastic but allow me to be clear: "Freedom" is entitled to all life, as is peace, love, and respect. I was raised a Hippie-vegetarian and am now Vegan, so to me Pendragon, YOU are the enslaver of animals!!!! Just joking! I miss MEAT and Cheese so ******* much!!

 

I agree with Fod.