China plans to potentially relax censorship for online video games

China will soon be rewriting its criteria on what sort of video games are released within the mainland.

Li Jianwei, head of the Ministry of Culture’s Internet Commerce department, explained to Guangzhou Daily reporters that the upcoming changes would make the approval process more streamlined than it had been in the past, and would allow game developers the opportunity to regulate their own products, “enhancing their self awareness and self management capabilities.”

Further details have yet to be released, but software developers interviewed by Guangzhou Daily said that a potential reduction of censorship in China’s video game industry would be ideal for business and would allow products to reach players faster.

The mainland currently lacks a formal rating system for video games, and all titles must first be approved by the State Press and Publication Administration (SPPA) before release.

Games that are deemed overly sexual, violent or politically controversial are usually denied a release in the mainland market by the SPPA, forcing developers to often make intensive changes.