China cracks down on ‘unauthorized’ video game live streaming

China is tightening measures against the live streaming of unauthorized video games, which is another measure against video games in the country.

China has said it will begin to strictly enforce a law banning live streaming of unauthorized video games. According to a Reuters report, the country’s National Radio and Television Administration just recently said that all web platforms are “strictly prohibited”from broadcasting headlines that have not been expressly approved by the government.

China cracks down on live streaming of unauthorized video games

According to Daniel Ahmad, an analyst who specializes in the video game industry, China has always required that games be officially licensed before they can be distributed or broadcast in the country, but so far, violators have rarely, if ever, been punished. The weakness, so to speak, has allowed games like Elden Ring, a game that is not officially approved in China, to have a significant following on platforms like Huya. Daniel Ahmad also elaborates that FromSoftware’s latest game had a total of around 17 million daily viewers during its first week of launch.

Additional measure against video games in the country

“In practice, this means that if your game is not approved by the [National Radio and Television Administration], it will be very difficult for it to be accessed through live streaming, short videos, ads, or other platforms [and] channels,” the post reads.. the analyst explains.

In recent years, China has tightened the weather on video games a lot. Last summer, the country began introducing a weekly limit of three hours of online games for children. At the time the restriction was put in place, state media called video games “spiritual opium”. The National Radio and Television Administration used similar rhetoric, saying that concerns such as addiction hastened the need for swift action against live video game broadcasts.