The Covet: Island of DesireNational Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) today issued Draft Management Measures for Online Games, open for public feedback until January 22, 2024. In future, online games will not be allowed to provide rewards for daily logins, or first-time and consecutive in-game purchasing. All game publishers will be prohibited from promoting or allowing high-priced transactions of virtual items through hype or auction. Charge limits will apply, as disclosed in service rules and pop-up warnings to players engaging in “irrational consumption”. Following the announcement, NetEase’s stock dropped over 20%, while Tencent’s fell by more than 15%. [NPPA, in Chinese]
