Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

China Promises Crackdown on Unwholesome Gaming

Geoff Duncan
By

The Great Firewall of China just keeps piling on the bricks: China already runs the world’s largest and most comprehensive Internet censorship operation on the planet, and recently riled up privacy rights activists by attempting to mandate the controversial “Green Dam” content filter be installed on all new PCs sold in the country. Now, the Chinese government is clamping down on online games, announcing a new probe designed to root out “unhealthy” content in online games. The Chinese government also issued a new edict barring foreign investment in domestic online gaming, including operating through joint ventures with Chinese businesses.

WOW Cataclyms Worgen Concept Art
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Under the new regulations, businesses operating online games in China must apply for a government license for each game; titles will be reviewed by state censors, who will be able to order objectionable content be removed from the games. The Chinese government says the new regulations are aimed at reducing the amount of violence and adult material children are exposed to through online games, but in the past concerns over sexual and violent material has also entailed suppression of political content critical of the Chinese government.

Recommended Videos

The online gaming market in China is among the fastest-growing in the world, with estimated revenues for 2009 ranging from $3.5 to $4 billion. Chinese officials are increasingly concerned with teenagers and other youth seemingly obsessed with online games like World of Warcraft—China’s General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) cites online games as the leading cause of Internet addiction in the country. The Chinese state-run news agency says over 200 games have already been investigated, and some 45 games shut down.

Related

Chinese game developer NetEase.com earlier this year announced a partnership with Blizzard to operate World of Warcraft in China; the proposed tie-up ran into trouble with regulators, and would now apparently be prohibited under the new regulations.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
The Nintendo Switch just got 2 surprise games — and they’re both worth grabbing
A teddy beat sits on an embroidery hoop in Stitch.

If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can't blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.

Read more
9 best processors for PC gaming: tested and reviewed
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D installed in a motherboard.

It's tough to find the right gaming CPU for your next PC. We've benchmarked dozens of processors to find the best CPU for gaming, and there's a clear winner right now: AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Although the latest chip from Team Red claims the crown, there are still several other great options on the market.

Whatever your needs and budgets, though, we have options from AMD and Intel that will be great performers. We're focused on gaming here, but if you want a processor that can game and get work done, make sure to check out our list of the best processors.

Read more
The best cozy games
Riding in a boat with Kapp'n in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

In a world where so many games send you on missions with tense action and high stakes, sometimes it's nice to just sit back and relax a bit. That's where the cozy genre comes in with calming exploration, crafting, and decorating that give you a sense of purpose without all of the stress that comes from more action-oriented games. If that's what you're after, look no further, as we've compiled a list of what we consider to be the best cozy games you can play right now.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Read more