Chinese game makers Tencent, NetEase tout 'social values' in biggest titles as regulatory crackdown weighs on industry
China's top video gaming companies have taken advantage of an annual industry gathering in Guangzhou on Thursday to pledge their commitment to "social values" to bolster trust with Beijing amid heightened regulatory scrutiny.
At the annual event hosted by the Game Publishing Committee of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, delegates from gaming giants including Tencent Holdings, NetEase and miHoYo stressed the "social responsibility" of their biggest titles.
Su Panhui, a producer for League of Legends in China at Tencent's Interactive Entertainment Group, reiterated the "Tech for Good" slogan first touted four years ago by Pony Ma Huateng, founder of the Shenzhen-based tech giant.
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"Tech for Good is one of Tencent's missions and visions, and League of Legends is adhering to this to make the world warmer," said Su, adding that the title developed by US subsidiary Riot Games has contributed to more than 10 philanthropic projects covering environmental protection and medical service improvements over the past decade.
Liu Jie, senior director of NetEase's Gaming Social Responsibility Promotion Centre, said the Hangzhou-based company has been working to include traditional culture and "patriotic spirit" in titles such as the popular casual game Eggy Party. The goal is to better shape the values of young people while they are playing, Liu said.
Liu also noted that the company has worked with smartphone makers including Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi to prevent over five million "high-risk activities" by minors in the past two months.
miHoYo, the creator of blockbuster titles Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, is also integrating elements of Chinese culture and geography into its anime-style games. This includes the picturesque karstic landscape of Guilin and traditional local opera in Genshin Impact, according to Ge Shangqing, who is responsible for social responsibility and public welfare projects at the Shanghai-based studio.
The remarks reflect Beijing's efforts to curb the perceived social ill of video game addiction among minors. China implements one of the world's most restrictive video game regulations, limiting people under the age of 18 to playing between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays.
The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet watchdog, is set to implement a new rule starting from January that aims to curb internet addiction and foster socialist values among children and teenagers. It will require a "minor mode" on electronic devices including smartphones, laptops and digital wearables that will restrict usage based on age group. Developers of mobile apps and mini programs must also include this function.
Zhang Yijun, director of the Game Publishing Committee, said there are still loopholes in the implementation of existing rules to keep kids away from screens. For instance, around a third of people under 18 are still using their parents' identity information to register game accounts and bypass the limit.
As the industry faces regulatory pressure and a slow economy, some companies have retreated from what was once seen as a lucrative path to boosting revenue.
TikTok owner ByteDance significantly scaled down its flagship video game studio Nuverse in November. Bilibili, a video streaming platform, has also faced challenges in its foray into video gaming.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
