Online gaming is under threat! (Patreon)

I took this picture a short while ago in a shopping mall, they were having a massive promotion for a new online game, not only did they have these lovely cosplayers, but also a room you could go into and you could have your picture taken using a massive array of cameras that then made a 3D model of you and put you into the game itself (well they printed out a photo for you of you in the game anyway). 

Online gaming is a massive industry in China and has so much sway and influence over the younger generation that the government has now classified it as a social ill and are going full guns against the industry preventing new releases, pulling licenses and heavily censoring the gaming industry.

I personally know people at Tencent, one of the largest producers and license holders of online gaming in China and they're not happy as the government has been putting a stop to a lot of their upcoming projects, games and licenses. This however is not slowing down the addiction rates and the traditional "网吧" (internet cafes) are still always packed, but even more of a worry for the government is that these online games have in recent years gone mobile and everyone can at any time play them on their mobile phones (you see this on the metro and busses and even pedestrians), this is a huge industry and a big part of China's modern culture and so we can only wait and see if the government will have any success in their efforts to ween people off of these games and cool down the industry.

I'm personally a gamer and always have been but I don't let it get in the way of my work or relationships and I think the key is balance. I have however observed throughout my time in China that a balanced lifestyle isn't a part of the culture here, it's all or nothing and this can be seen in real estate speculation, study, work etc. At the end of the day I hope that the government isn't too much of a killjoy and that people can still enjoy their entertainment.

- Stay Awesome!

SerpentZA