State media reported in April that a 17-year-old gamer in southern Guangdong province suffered a type of stroke after spending 40 consecutive hours playing King of Glory. Additional measures implemented earlier this year include a real-name authentication system and software that enables parents to place electronic locks on the game. China, which became the first country to declare internet addiction a clinical disorder in 2008, introduced draft legislation this February that would ban minors from playing online games between midnight and 8am. But in the current absence of “clear regulations to guard against mobile gaming addiction,” Tencent said, “we have decided to take the lead ... and dispel parents’ concerns”. The draft regulation aimed to curtail the more extreme methods employed at these centres, such as electroshock therapy and beatings.

Source: The Guardian July 04, 2017 07:07 UTC