China Considers Online Game Rating Standards
China Youth Daily, 1/ 14/10
Peking University's Institute for Cultural Industries (ICI) and Huazhong Normal University (HNU) are jointly developing an online game ratings standard, China's Ministry of Culture (MoC) announced at the Seventh Annual Cultural Entrepreneurial Industry Forum on January 10 in Beijing. The ratings categories will be divided into three age groups: all ages, ages 12 and up, and ages 18 and up. Xiang Yong, VP of ICI and a member of the MoC's imported online game content evaluation expert committee, said that the Institute has completed six months of research and submitted its findings to the central government but not yet received feedback.
According to reports, the ratings system will evaluate the story, setting, soundtrack and visual special effects, and will not only target violent, pornographic or vulgar content but also examine cultural value as well as geographical and historical context. Giant Interactive's (NYSE: GA) self-developed free-to-play 2D MMORPG ZT Online was rated "ages 18 and up" during a test of the ratings system.
Keywords: regulation Giant Interactive ZT Online Internet ratings GA Ministry of Culture online gaming
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