New Under-18 Gaming Rules Undermine China’s Esports Powerhouse Status

New Under-18 Gaming Rules Undermine China’s Esports Powerhouse Status

[ad_1] In glass-paneled conference rooms, members of the Shanghai-based esports team Rogue Warriors tap away at their phones as they train from 11am till late, occasionally breaking for food. “I spend 15 of 24 hours a day playing video games,” says 19-year-old Zhang Kaifeng who plays Tencent’s online battle arena game “Arena of Valor” professionally, adding…

Chinese Gamers Under 18 Can’t Play More Than 3 Hours a Week

Chinese Gamers Under 18 Can’t Play More Than 3 Hours a Week

[ad_1] China has forbidden under-18s from playing video games for more than three hours a week, a stringent social intervention that it said was needed to pull the plug on a growing addiction to what it once described as “spiritual opium”. The new rules, published on Monday, are part of a major shift by Beijing…

China’s Regulatory Crackdown at a Glance: From Bitcoin to Ride-Hailing Apps

China’s Regulatory Crackdown at a Glance: From Bitcoin to Ride-Hailing Apps

[ad_1] China has launched a multi-pronged crackdown on its tech companies, leaving startups and decades-old firms alike operating in a new, uncertain environment. Here are sectors that are facing regulatory pressure: Gaming companies Chinese regulators have slashed the amount of time players under the age of 18 can spend on online games to an hour…

Pokemon Unite Opens Pre-Registration for Android, iOS Devices

Pokemon Unite Opens Pre-Registration for Android, iOS Devices

[ad_1] Pokemon Unite multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game is releasing for Android and iOS platforms on September 22. The game is currently available for pre-registration and users who will pre-register for the game will get additional bonus content if certain conditions are met. Pokemon Unite was released for Nintendo Switch on July 21. There…

Tencent’s $5.3-Billion Huya-DouYu Merger Gets Blocked

Tencent’s $5.3-Billion Huya-DouYu Merger Gets Blocked

[ad_1] China’s market regulator on Saturday said it would block Tencent Holdings Ltd’s plan to merge the country’s top two videogame streaming sites, Huya and DouYu, on antitrust grounds. Tencent first announced plans to merge Huya and DouYu last year in a tie-up designed to streamline its stakes in the firms, which were estimated by…

Tencent Will Now Use Facial Recognition to Identify Underage Gamers in China

Tencent Will Now Use Facial Recognition to Identify Underage Gamers in China

[ad_1] To curb internet addiction and especially reduce the time youngsters under the age of 18 spend playing video games, the gaming giant Tencent has rolled out a time-sensitive facial recognition system in China. The objective of Tencent Games’ facial recognition function is to prevent children masquerading as adults from getting around a government rule for underage…

Spending in Mobile Apps Surges to New High, Nearly Touching $65 Billion: Sensor Tower

Spending in Mobile Apps Surges to New High, Nearly Touching $65 Billion: Sensor Tower

[ad_1] App revenue from mobile phone users around the world climbed to new heights in the first half of this year, nearly reaching $65 billion  (roughly Rs. 4,82,550 crores), market tracker Sensor Tower said Monday. Apple and Google saw their respective mobile app shops thrive as the Silicon Valley giants remained under fire for the…