China is toughening up against the livestreaming of unauthorized video games, a further measure against video gaming in the country.
The Chine indicated that it would begin to scrupulously apply the law prohibiting live broadcasts of video games unauthorized. According to a Archyde.com article, the National Radio and Television Administration of the country declared quite recently that he was “strictly forbidden” to all web platforms to stream titles that the government had not explicitly approved.
China gets tough on livestreaming unauthorized video games
According to Daniel Ahmad, an analyst specializing in the video game industry, China has always required games to have an official license before they can be distributed or streamed in the country, but the violators have so far been rarely, if ever, punished. A laxity, so to speak, which has allowed games like Elden Ring, a title that is not officially approved in China, to have a substantial following on platforms like Huya. Daniel Ahmad also specifies that the latest game from FromSoftware gathered some 17 million daily viewers in total during the first week of operation.
An additional measure against video games in the country
“This means in practice that unless your game is approved by the [National Radio and Television Administration]it will be very difficult for the latter to obtain visibility via live streaming, short videos, or other platforms [et] chains”, explains the analyst.
China has tightened the weather a lot regarding video games in recent years. Last summer, the country began enforcing a weekly limit of only three hours of online gaming for children. At the time the limitation was put in place, state-owned media described video games as “spiritual opium”. The National Radio and Television Administration employed similar rhetoric, saying issues like addiction have accelerated the need for quick action against video game streaming.
China’s regulation around video games continues to focus on compliance and enforcement.
Games have always required a license before they can be distributed or streamed in China. The latter was rarely enforced. Now it will be. https://t.co/gRZeSQ6hLX
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 15, 2022