The Chinese government has just done what generations of parents have failed to do: severely restrict the amount of time children spend playing video games.
China's National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) issued its strictest-ever guidelines yesterday, prohibiting children under the age of 18 from playing online video games from Monday to Thursday and for only one hour a day on weekends and public holidays between 8pm and 9pm.
So, how will it be implemented? All online video games must be connected to the NPPA's "anti-addiction" system, which uses real-name registration. Tencent, the world's largest video gaming firm by revenue, has already begun to employ facial recognition technology, with users being instantly booted off after a set period of time.
What's at stake: China's drive to restructure its tech industry in response to fears that children's brains are turning to oatmeal is reflected in the newest ruling. An article in state media earlier last month referred to video games as "opium for the mind," causing gaming stocks to lose roughly $100 billion in value. Tencent's market capitalization has plummeted by more than $400 billion from its February high.