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China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

reuters.com

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Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#931

Post by throwaddzuzxd »

bserge wrote: post #23
namelessoracle wrote: post #7

I have mixed feelings about this. Younger me learned a lot of problem solving skills and most importantly spent a lot of time learning how to read by playing RPGs and games that required lots of reading. My reading skills would not have been as advanced if i wasn't playing text heavy games that had a lot of plot like Square Enix games and the CRPGs of the time. Modern games though are clearly designed to get you as a…

I haven't played a good game in nearly a decade. I used to play them for the story, then it all became too grindy, trainers became moneymakers (yeah I used cheats, sue me, I played for fun), everything needs a fking Internet connection and anticheat software that does god knows what. Kinda sad.

> I haven't played a good game in nearly a decade. I used to play them for the story, then it all became too grindy

That's on you. There are tons of amazing new video games with a good plot and a great gameplay. I'm not a huge gamer myself but the last one I did that checks those boxes was Horizon Zero Dawn.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#932

Post by account42 »

muzani wrote: post #882
namelessoracle wrote: post #7

I have mixed feelings about this. Younger me learned a lot of problem solving skills and most importantly spent a lot of time learning how to read by playing RPGs and games that required lots of reading. My reading skills would not have been as advanced if i wasn't playing text heavy games that had a lot of plot like Square Enix games and the CRPGs of the time. Modern games though are clearly designed to get you as a…

I'd say there's 4 kinds of games: 1. Sports. You practice, get good, compete. 2. Effort is rewarded. "Effort" is a very vague thing. It could be not dying/luck (roguelikes, Hearthstone), it could be clicking a button 1000 times. It could be problems (Factorio) or wiki games (DF, Stardew Valley). The reward is sometimes satisfaction (Factorio/chess), sometimes a movie-like denouement (FF), sometimes a thing of beauty…

Your category (2) is extremely vague and all-encompassing. I'd split off at least two distinct categories:

5. Games that are about providing a certain experience: walking simulators, horror games, casual adventure games, story focused games. Here there, effort is often not really a focus at all and while you could say that you are "rewarded" for simply playing the game that is stretching it and could be applied to any game that is enjoyable in some way.

6. Puzzle games - here the challenge itself is the reward but unlike (1) the challenge is problem solving and not competition.

Of course like any genre system real games will not fit neatly in one of these categories but have aspects from multiple of them.

> The last one is the "purest" form of gaming, in that it's a medium that only games can do well.

Yeah no. While the interactive medium is a great tool for showing consequences, it is not required. Meanwhile many things in the other categories also benefit greatly from it.

> Hopefully games that can lead to a satisfactory conclusion within 2-3 hours like the average movie.

I wouldn't really want to hold the "average movie" as something games should strive for. I'm all for cutting down on grind, 2-3 hours is a really short time to learn complex mechanics or get immersed in the world and characters.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#933

Post by hoseja »

bjt2n3904 wrote: post #329
beaunative wrote: post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about child protection service, school, free lunch at school, healthcare, and more comparably age 21 restriction for alcohol consumption? Those are all examples of 'jurisdiction over raising children'.

Physically abusing your child by chaining them to the radiator is not a parenting decision. Providing lunch at something the child is required to be at by law is not a parenting decision. Requiring annual physicals is not a parenting decision, nor a health care decision. However, requiring a specific treatment is both. Alcohol consumption is a grey area, and a cultural choice the country has made. Why not make the dr…

It used to be a parenting decision till like one or two hundred years ago.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#934

Post by nnt38 »

d0mine wrote: post #879
bogwog wrote: post #702

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's a big double standard to call their flavor of restrictions "authoritarian", while being ok with (or even strongly in favor of) our flavor of restrictions, even though the two are objectively similar in nature. Our restrictions came about through a democratic process (example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_... ), not because our supreme leader decided he knows what's best for us. N…

What empirical evidence do you have that US is actually democratic? "The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy." https://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congr...

Remember that study saying America is an oligarchy? 3 rebuttals say it's wrong. https://www.vox.com/2016/5/9/11502464/gilens-page-oligarchy-...

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#936

Post by jacknews »

loudtieblahblah wrote: post #118
jacknews wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm quite happy for my kids to spend hours playing online when they are playing together with friends. They start up discord audio rooms or whatever and play as a team. Of course, playing with a ball in a field might be better, but, covid. I don't allow them to play single-player games so much, unless it's something original, story or experience-based. Undertale, Braid, Journey, etc. Certainly nothing 'infinite scrol…

> Of course, playing with a ball in a field might be better, but, covid. Depending on the kind of "ball", but your kid goes to school., no? that's way more dangerous than playing outside in the sunshine. from a covid perspective.

Schools currently closed where I am.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#937

Post by mippenhappen »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #68
throwaway5752 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trying to look at from their point of view and in good faith, excessive childhood gaming seem to be causing problems for some people like stunting their personal and intellectual development. China seems to be taking a stance that their citizens are a human resource for their country, and excessive gaming is hurting their asset.

> like stunting their personal and intellectual development This. And social development. What are the implications of having all of your friends online and never met them in real life?

>What are the implications of having all of your friends online

Peace and quiet?

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#938

Post by jacknews »

brundolf wrote: post #99
jacknews wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm quite happy for my kids to spend hours playing online when they are playing together with friends. They start up discord audio rooms or whatever and play as a team. Of course, playing with a ball in a field might be better, but, covid. I don't allow them to play single-player games so much, unless it's something original, story or experience-based. Undertale, Braid, Journey, etc. Certainly nothing 'infinite scrol…

I would probably ban my kids from playing anything with those gambling-style mechanics, yeah. I think it's a disgusting trend that's turning a wonderful medium into digital cigarettes. I might make an exception for something all their friends were playing together, but I wouldn't pay for any loot boxes. But I would caution against being too picky about single-player experiences. The most meaningful games for me were…

I agree, I'm happy with Minecraft, though again they usually play cooperatively either to build things, or to fight/capture-the-flag in teams. Similarly with many Roblox games, but in that case they most enjoy making games themselves. And a lot of time on Scratch - I'm quite impressed with some of the games and interative 'skits' they make.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#939

Post by mippenhappen »

floatboth wrote: post #265
bserge wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of them are addicting time wasting shit. Especially mobile games, good God. Show me a mobile game that has a good story, little grind, works offline and sells for ~$60 with no in-game purchases. Phones are as capable as a PS3/PS4 these days, too.

GTA San Andreas is a mobile game now. Matches all criteria except it's cheaper :D

I don't think ports count.

Re: China has forbidden under-18s from playing games for more than three hours/week

#940

Post by mippenhappen »

graderjs wrote: post #795

The energy and creativity would come out other ways, hopefully through more businesses, invention and art.

What? This is about kids. They are gonna play more offline games, or watch more "TV", or masturbate more, or find ways around the rule.
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