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Online Games May Face Rating System

China may consider introducing a ratings system to better regulate the country's booming online gaming industry in response to growing concerns over addiction among adolescents, said a senior administrator.

Yu Yongzhan, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication, stressed that sufficient research is needed before taking moves to introduce a rating system. "The rating system should be aimed at guiding online game developers and operators to offer more games suitable to adolescents. It should also play an important role in helping adolescents establish a healthy practice of playing online games and reduce their chances of getting addicted." Yu made the comments on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC).

As online games are spawning addiction among an increasing number of youth, national lawmakers have pushed hard for legislation to better regulate the industry. Earlier media reports said there are now 14.3 million online game players in China, including 2.6 million young addicts.

Yu said strict censoring regulations have been put into place to ban online games involving violence, murder or sex. He, however, acknowledged that some role-playing games do raise the propensity to addiction among adolescents.