3 ms·

Like with Bitcoin regulation, good luck to the governments with enforcement.

brundolf 5y ago
All game companies operating in China, software and hardware, have to go through the CCP. They could definitely force companies to add software timers that automatically shut games down when a time limit is reached.
- cracell 5y ago
  Sure but this is like DRM. You just create an arms war. Underage users would find ways to appear to be 18 or older. Or use multiple accounts to continue playing. This is already common in many grind games. You have support accounts that feed the main account items. Or just straight up hacking the timer system. Or playing games published outside if China. Where there's a will, there's a way.
  - brundolf 5y ago
    Remember we're talking about a totalitarian regime, where using real IDs for digital accounts is already a thing. Where importing unapproved foreign media is (presumably) banned. Where you can't so much as get a VPN without permission. I'm sure some people will find ways around it, but I don't think that will be the norm.
    - Gunax 5y ago
      I dont see it working any differently than piracy. If people can hack the bytecode to appear as though the game has received a valid key, I dont see why they cannot do the same for these restrictions.
      - brundolf 5y ago
        And the code or techniques for doing so will get scrubbed from the internet. Individuals may independently figure it out, but they'll be a drop in the bucket.
      - sudosysgen 5y ago
        That's not how online games work. Core functions of the game are executed remotely. You need to convince the server, not your local machine.
esjeon 5y ago
It’s actually quite easy. Roast game companies to integrate the national-wide timekeeping service into their games. AFAIK, this is what Korea had been doing, but the policy recently got called off.
justapassenger 5y ago
Requiring state id to access any game is fairly easy to implement in a country like China. If you don’t provide one that’s over 18, you’re by default forced into restrictions.
kreetx 5y ago
Correct me if I'm wrong but unlike bitcoin many of these games are played online in a centralized way, so China could even forward these regulations to these online services so they could enforce them themselves (if they want to continue being legally available).
oromo 5y ago
Online games in China already require players to sign up with their identification cards. Hope that helps.
bigbillheck 5y ago
Didn't China successfully shut down a bunch of miners recently?

All game companies operating in China, software and hardware, have to go through the CCP. They could definitely force companies to add software timers that automatically shut games down when a time limit is reached.

cracell 5y ago
Sure but this is like DRM. You just create an arms war. Underage users would find ways to appear to be 18 or older. Or use multiple accounts to continue playing. This is already common in many grind games. You have support accounts that feed the main account items. Or just straight up hacking the timer system. Or playing games published outside if China. Where there's a will, there's a way.
- brundolf 5y ago
  Remember we're talking about a totalitarian regime, where using real IDs for digital accounts is already a thing. Where importing unapproved foreign media is (presumably) banned. Where you can't so much as get a VPN without permission. I'm sure some people will find ways around it, but I don't think that will be the norm.
  - Gunax 5y ago
    I dont see it working any differently than piracy. If people can hack the bytecode to appear as though the game has received a valid key, I dont see why they cannot do the same for these restrictions.
    - brundolf 5y ago
      And the code or techniques for doing so will get scrubbed from the internet. Individuals may independently figure it out, but they'll be a drop in the bucket.
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      That's not how online games work. Core functions of the game are executed remotely. You need to convince the server, not your local machine.

esjeon 5y ago

It’s actually quite easy. Roast game companies to integrate the national-wide timekeeping service into their games. AFAIK, this is what Korea had been doing, but the policy recently got called off.

justapassenger 5y ago

Requiring state id to access any game is fairly easy to implement in a country like China. If you don’t provide one that’s over 18, you’re by default forced into restrictions.

kreetx 5y ago

Correct me if I'm wrong but unlike bitcoin many of these games are played online in a centralized way, so China could even forward these regulations to these online services so they could enforce them themselves (if they want to continue being legally available).

oromo 5y ago

Online games in China already require players to sign up with their identification cards. Hope that helps.

bigbillheck 5y ago

Didn't China successfully shut down a bunch of miners recently?