It is reminiscent of older articles in which video games were compared with digital heroin.A powerful languageA Chinese state media outlet published a Tuesday article critiquing online video games. It called for additional restrictions to prevent children becoming addicted.According to NBC News, the article that compared gaming to opium in its ability to attract children to it sent stock prices of Tencent and NetEase plunging. This article is part of a long-running government push to stop kids spending their money on video games. The beleaguered companies have already implemented new restrictions in response.Get it back!The article was published by the state-run Economic Information Daily. It has been removed twice. First, the article was removed for a few minutes before being republished with a different headline and without any mention of opium, NBC reports.The next step should be to tighten controls on the time that minors spend online gaming. The article, translated by NBC, stated that it should be significantly reduced from the current level.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhatever worksThe article appears to have been removed completely, although it is not known if it will be restored. The article was able to achieve its goal of limiting gaming industry expansion. Tencent now restricts the time that minors can use its games and limits how much they can spend.According to Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad, the article raised awareness about gaming addiction among minors. This article is reminiscent to older articles in which video games were compared with digital heroin.READ MORE: Chinese media condemns video games and warns children about addiction [NBC News]China bans minors from playing video games after 10 pmAdvertisementAdvertisement
