Technology Author：Mianmian Wang Editor：Ni Tao Apr 13, 2022 08:06 AM (GMT+8)

Online game industry practitioners heaved a sigh of relief after approval of new license applications came to a dramatic halt last year following a clampdown on what Beijing labelled “online spiritual opium.”

online video games


China on April 11 resumed the issuance of licenses to online video games after an eight-month hiatus, giving a new lease on life to many game operators that have been struggling under the country’s crackdown on the industry since last year. 

 

According to an announcement by the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) in the evening of April 11, 45 online video games were given the with game license approval numbers (ISBN). They consisted of 39 mobile games, five PC games and one console game.

 

A bit surprisingly, leading game publishers NetEase (9999:HK) and Tencent (0700: HK) were not included in the list. 

 

The list comprises companies including Leiting Games (Chinese: 雷霆网络), the subsidiary of G-Bits (Chinese: 吉比特), X.D. Network Inc. (Chinese: 心动网络), YooZoo Games (Chinese: 游族网络), Shenzhen Zhongqingbaowang Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 中青宝), Xishanju (Chinese: 西山居) and Baidu (9888: HK).

 

Shares of US- and Hong Kong-listed Chinese gaming companies soared ion news of the long-awaited resumption. At the close of trading yesterday, Bilibili Inc. (BILI: NASDAQ) surged 7%; Huya Inc. (HUYA: NYSE) and DouYu International Holdings Ltd. (DOYU: NASDAQ) jumped 2% and Tencent Holdings Ltd. (0700: HK) rose slightly. 

 

With the world’s largest gaming market, China also has put in place the strictest regulations on online game publishers, citing the need to prevent juvenile addiction. It is said that similar rules will also be published for adults in the near future.  

 

In August 2021, NPPA released a notice stipulating that all online game providers can only offer one-hour services to the minors on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national public holidays in a bid to stamp out addiction.. 

 

In March this year, the Cyberspace Administration of China again sought public input on strengthening the clean-up of the online environment for minors, urging online service providers to remove or rectify any contents that could lead to juvenile addiction.


tencent Netease