Shanghai summons video gaming companies for a lecture as city follows up on government drive to protect minors
- The meeting in Shanghai was called by multiple municipal departments, including the Shanghai communist propaganda unit
- Major Shanghai-based gaming companies include Bilibili, miHoYo, Lilith Games, Giant Network and XD Inc
More than 20 video games companies based in Shanghai, China’s video gaming hub, have been summoned to a meeting with city authorities on Tuesday as the government’s scrutiny of the industry continues, local media outlet ThePaper.cn reported.
The local authority’s summons comes after the Communist Party’s central propaganda department in Beijing last week called in Tencent Holdings and NetEase, along with other gaming firms, and ordered them to carefully implement a new requirement that limits play time to three hours per week for gamers under 18 and to filter out “unhealthy” gaming content.
The meeting in Shanghai was called by multiple municipal departments, including the Shanghai communist propaganda unit, the local branch of the cybersecurity administration, although it did not name which companies were asked to attend.
At the meeting companies were told to strengthen their management of online games and to prevent gaming addiction among children, according to the news report.
The meeting was aimed at “conveying the message of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party, which emphasises that companies must elevate their political standing and deeply recognise the importance and urgency of preventing minors from becoming addicted to online games,” the report said.