Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 have only recently been available in China, after a 15-year ban on console gaming was lifted in June. (Photo : Reuters)
The Ministry of Culture has expressed its commitment to ensure "healthy" content of videogames and to attract older people to gaming, following the lifting of the 15-year ban on gaming consoles and arcades, Xinhua reported.
While China has many opportunities for gaming companies, the industry lacks innovation and promotion in the country, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Culture. The statement was released after a gaming industry conference in Beijing on Sunday, Nov. 22.
"Game content should be healthy and not cross the red line," said the statement. It also said that arcades should be light and spacious.
While the statement did not elaborate on what it meant by "healthy," the authorities have been known to block the release of games that are deemed too violent or pornographic.
The Ministry of Culture also stressed that games should cater to different age groups, not only serving teenagers.
The Chinese government has had a long-standing fear that games could have an adverse effect on young people.
In June, the ministry lifted its ban on the making and selling of gaming consoles after 15 years of them being contraband in the country. This allowed Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One to compete with PC games.
Chinese companies are gaining an expanded presence in the gaming market. Tencent Holdings Ltd. has stakes in large foreign gaming companies like Activision Blizzard, the developer of "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft."
China's online gaming market was worth 110.8 billion yuan in 2014, according to iResearch.cn.
