China restricts poker, mahjong computer games
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 20 April 2011 00:39
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:00
- Written by China Post news staff
BEIJING - The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) yesterday announced that “gambling-type” computer games such as mahjong, poker, rolling dice and roulette will no longer be consider “General” in ratings. Effective July 1, they will fall under the “Protect” category.
The ministry pointed out that Chinese Chess or card games like Solitaire will maintain a “General” rating as they are seen as beneficial to cognitive and critical thinking.
In order to better inform and protect consumers, the MOEA amended the Computer Software Rating Regulation in 2009 to mandate all computer game companies to label their products under four proper ratings of “General,” “Protect,” “Counsel,” and “Restrict.”
The regulations were largely created to inform parents and protect underage players. The ministry made an additional amendment to the regulations yesterday by moving games that appear to instruct or encourage opportunistic behavior from the “General” rating to the “Protect.”
Of the 200 or so card and peg-based games currently online, 87.61 percent were found to have opportunistic qualities, including games like mahjong, an MOEA spokesperson said.
However, only 12 percent were labeled under “Protect,” which shows how easily accessible such games are to underage children and the opportunity they have to negatively impact the physical and mental wellbeing of kids during such their developmentally formative stage.
Further, the ministry said games featuring scantily clad women and titillating images will also be moved into ratings of “Counsel” and “Restrict.”
IMO, kuitan nashi will be the most problematic point for a world championship.
To shorten my point, kuitan-nashi Mahjong is like Formula 1 racing with 3 tires. It's probably a great learning exercise (good) that they turned into the only form of testing (bad). If that was the only problem, most people could live with that. The bigger problem for EMA Mahjong is their tolerance for a type of call that would be considered cheating anywhere else: tolerating the pick-and-switch for the same tile. (chi 78+9, throw nine; pon 11+1, throw one)
For a WC-Riichi event to succeed, that last point needs to be addressed once and for all. As for the rest of the rules, it will most likely be a take it or leave it scenario. There's nothing we can do about it.
But i appreciate the current changes cuz they minimize the luck factor a bit.