Over Half Of Young Chinese Gamers Stick To The Government-Mandated Time Limits

thegamer.com:

China is a nation of gamers. In fact, it has more people who play video games than most countries have people at around 720 million gamers. But the country's authoritarian government is trying to stem this, and it's targeting the next generation. In September 2021, new regulations were introduced that restricted Chinese minors to playing online games for only one hour, between 8pm and 9pm, on Fridays, weekends, and public holidays. These regulations have had a major impact on China's gaming youth.

In a report compiled by Niko Partners, this is laid out in stark terms. Since the regulations were introduced, 77 percent of Chinese youngsters play fewer hours per week as a direct result of the policies. Meanwhile, the total number of youth gamers, which is defined as those aged 6 to 17 who play games for at least an hour each month, has dropped from a peak of 122 million in 2020 to the current number of 83 million. That’s a drop-off of nearly 32 percent.

Related: China’s Games License Freeze Has Hit Chinese Developers Hard

Those who only play within the approved hours set by the government comprise 54 percent of youth gamers, meaning more than half of Chinese minors are abiding by the strict regulations. However, the other 46 percent are finding workarounds.

These young gamers are using loopholes to get around the restrictions, explains senior Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad. "They use adult ID to play those games," he says. These IDs or adult accounts can be from parents, an older friend, or a sibling. It can be as simple as a parent handing their mobile phone to their child. However, accounts can also be rented. Ahmad describes platforms that sell accounts that can be used for a limited amount of time, but he mentions