Online gaming, banned overnight in Vietnam and new laws in China.

China's first law initiated against the vastly growing online gaming industry will take effect on the 02/08/2010.
The law was introduced to protect children from internet addiction after numerous deaths of children at rehabiliation centers for internet-addicted youths last year.

[TheLeprachaun]

Sickening and fascist. People should be able to do what they want. If they're retarded enough to get addicted, that's their own damn fault.

[HolyOrangeCows]

"Also in Vietnam the Ministry of Information and Communications has cut off overnight public internet access in businesses and banned advertisements of online games pending new regulations amid a public outcry over games influence on youths.
The move has also temporarily stopped the licensing of online games. Vietnamese officials announced the decision last week and said it will remain in effect until the end of the year."

And here I thought videogame fear-mongering was bad in the US...

[Darkstorn]

Misleading title. Online gaming has not been banned yet, but internet access has been severely limited and a ban appears to be possible. It also states that online game advertising has been cut off.

I should add that Vietnam has an up-and-coming tech sector. If Vietnam does choose to pursue a full ban, then it isn't going to help with the country's economic growth. Additionally, some worthwhile investors may not be as interested in the country anymore. Not a smart economic move, in my opinion.

[RememberThe357]

China would much rather attack their hobbies than address the real issues these kids are facing. That sounds every other culture in history.

But your logic is completely flawed and would only work if we all existed in a vacuum. Fortunately we do not and we all affect each other. Adictions that ruin lives such as drug and alcohol, and in this case gaming, are not just damaging to the person addicted but to the society as a whole.

I know it's easier to just say that it's their problem and move on, but that is just as ineffective as what China is doing. There is a major problem with suicide and addiction in these countries and it will take a massive social program to correct it.

The hard truth is that we are all apart of a community and we all have to play a role in it. So many people just refuse to accept that.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

joe liebramen is pushing for the same thing here in th North American Union, i think its called the cybernetic security act, well do some research and youll probably find what in talking about.

[sensor21]

Where at least I know I'm Free

[MONOLITHICIDE]

And hows that, when your being surveillanced at all times, Patriot act look it up, healthcare bill, all the bailouts, and its getting alot worse. Havent been truly free since 1911 and before(1885) when the rockefellers monopolizes oil. And so forth, www.peopleforfreedom.com www.infowars.com www.drudge.com

movies

Endgame
Invisible empire
Fall of the Republic
The obama deception
America: freedom to fascism
loose change
911 mysteries

[Traveler]

Yes, Monolith, there has been a loss of freedom in the US as has happened in nearly all countries, but it is still more free than most countries in the world.

I'd still rather live in the US than in China or Vietnam.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

@TRAVELER

SEE THATS THE illusion

of course i wouldnt want to live anywhere else, but what is it gonna be like in the next year, oh yeah global government.

[SaberEdge]

Wow, don't you just love communism and authoritarian governments?

[DeadlyFire]

They are supposed to watch and control their kids.

[Pedobear Rocks]

that means you have more time to wander the streets and meet up with me.

*wink

PBR

[MisterNiwa]

Oh you!

[ambientFLIER]

Pedobear isn't, and hasn't been, funny for a looong time. Even less so for your fake account.

[davidmccue]

I Blame the parents.

[BeOneWithTheGun]

having 12 year old kids work 16 hour days making Nike shoes?

[Game13a13y]

and we have no problem supporting this company to making millions and millions dollars by exploiting these poor people?

[madjedi]

No doubt typed from a keyboard or on a monitor that says made in china, thailand, ect it's generally not smart to point fingers when your just as bad.

Exactly how many electronic devices do you own that are made by companies that exploit lower payed workers, i wont bother counting mine too many.

People buy what they want and what is acceptable within their budget, if you can find a new system that doesn't need a form of currency, i'm all ears.

You want to do something actually useful for future generations, figure out how get local governments and city governments around the world to push for more convenient recycling options for people.

It will do alot more help in the long run(decades/centuries) than(short term), getting people to give up their cheap electronics and goods they want.

Just because people are being exploited, which i can already tell you isn't going to happen us giving up cheap goods, good luck with that.

[Baltis]

I hate online gaming. It is killing storytelling in all video games. You people don't play 90% of these online games anyways. And if you do you don't stick with them but a month and then it's on to the next one. I loath online gaming and that is one really good reason why I don't own the xbox 360. I don't have to pay for it on the Ps3, which is a good thing.

[dizzleK]

i agree, it's absolutely overrated. how many games where you run around like a rat in a maze shooting each other can you play before youre sick of it? the same modes, the same guns, the same gameplay, etc.

[RedBullGT]

I agree with you in a way. I am getting tired of multiplayer games and I want more from the single player. The one game where I felt that they did a good job is Uncharted 2. I love the single player and the multiplayer is solid. I did not feel like that they sacrificed any of the single player to create the multiplayer. I like multiplayer, but I am tired of these thrown together single player campaigns.

[caladbolg777]

"you don't stick with them but a month and then it's on to the next one."

Really? Online games like Counterstrike, Starcraft, Warcraft, Team Fortress, Diablo and MMOs like Ultima, Everquest, WoW, Guild Wars and Eve say "hi". People play, have played and have continued to play some of these online games for literally decades.

[Darkstorn]

I'm not a fervent online gamer, as I don't have high-speed internet, but there's no doubt that it adds value to games. Online options make gaming much more accessible to the masses; those who don't care for story and just want to kill some time have the choice to play online, and those of us who enjoy single player have that option as well.

From an economic standpoint, online gaming has allowed the industry to grow vastly more than it would have otherwise. As much as you may dislike it, MW2's multiplayer alone will account for hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions, in revenue (let's just hope that Activision actually invests the money in making more games and doesn't blow it all on bonuses...)

[RememberThe357]

Is there anything about gaming that you don't hate. I have never read so many negative comments from one person.

[Alos88]

All to crush the people's spirits, can't have a much needed uprising if you don't care enough to make a difference.

[somethingstrang]

Call it fascist, but online gaming destroys a large part of a kid's life and his social skills. I've seen too many times where people would drop out of college or fail to get into one because they spent all their time playing games. Blame them for their laziness all you want, you're just trying to ignore the fact that online gaming IS a waste of time. Sure, games may improve some problem solving abilities, but the improvement is meager.

[Consoldtobots]

the old guard is on its way out and it appears these totalitarian commies are fighting the future tooth and nail. It won't stop the inevitable once the people get sick of their crap. Once upon a time we would have stood on the side of those who desire freedom inside totalitarian regimes. Now we give the oppressors FAIR TRADE deals and financial incentives to sell their cheap crap to us. ALLLL thanks to every lying snake from Nixon to Clinton to Bush. They are just as communist and totalitarian but just wear better suits.

[Darkstorn]

What an extremely reactionary statement.

Fair trade accounts for less than 0.5% of all economic activity in the world, why do you think it is the predominant means of exchange in Vietnam? Vietnam joined the WTO (a free trade organization) in 2007. As you well know, free trade laws force poorer nations to produce cash crops, refrain from raising the minimum wage, and often prevent those countries from passing worker protection legislation. Free trade accounts for great economic growth for the wealthy, but only further impoverishment for the working man.

Remember that 'free trade' and 'fair trade' are opposing economic viewpoints. Read up:
Free: http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
Fair: http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

[Ravenor]

Online gaming isn't the issue, you make a choice to play WoW instead of go to class or call in sick because you want to move up the SC2 ladder. It's people with mixed up priorities, and removing online games isn't going to make the problem go away.

Next someone in here is going to say addiction is a disease.

[madjedi]

Wow, thank god i don't live in vietnam or china, if feel sorry for those poor bastards, at least the government over here is too greedy to try anything like that.

@monolith And about the government having you under surveillance at all times, i have 2 issues with this statement, first unless you said or did something to warrant the government attention, to 90-95% of the general public should never be under form of surveillance period.

2nd the cost of wide spread surveillance, is not practical, so surveillance would have to be limited to a person by person, or something relatively cheap and far reaching like, having a digital record of cell phone transmissions.

I seriously doubt we will find ourselves in v for vendetta in real life anytime soon if ever again, but humans need some form of order. All governments are a work in progress, you want governments to not abuse their power or authority, find someone else to run it beside humans.

[ebgeer]

That just sounds crazy...I actually do not believe it at all....but..i understand where people might get too hooked and there might be some lost time for school etc.

[davidmccue]

I looked up on deaths due to internet addiction in 2009, and i fount that the deaths were mainly caused by the children being abused within the internet addiction camps, and not by thier addiction. This is taken from wikipedia.

"China
The Chinese government operates several clinics to treat those suffering from overuse of online games, chatting and web surfing. Treatment for the patients, most of whom have been forced to attend by parents or government officials, include various forms of pain or uneasiness.In August 2009, Deng Sanshan reportedly threw himself off of a roof of a correctional facility for video game and Web addiction after having been beaten and physically and mentally abused."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...