Video games get age-based ratings in China under new guidelines

China’s video games watchdog has announced a new age-based rating system. China has been ramping up gaming restrictions for minors in recent years amid concerns from parents and frustration from adult gamers affected by censorship. — SCMP

China’s video games watchdog has announced a new age-based rating system, the latest sign that China is stepping up regulations on what is now the largest industry in the country’s entertainment sector.

The China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association (CADPA), a government-backed industry group, revealed the new system at the Chinese Games Industry Annual Conference (China GIAC) in Guangzhou on Dec 16. Formally known as the Online Game Age-Appropriateness Warning, the new standards have officially entered a pilot phase, said Zhang Yijun, the first deputy chairman of CADPA.