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Nictathan
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5531
Location: here... where I am... not with you
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Occulis
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 13293
Location: Moral Relativity Central
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 Posted: 08/24/05 - 18:54 Post subject:
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Taking away freedoms is cool, I'm glad MS is funding net development in China.
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sinrakin
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 7044
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Posted: 08/24/05 - 18:57 Post subject:
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Those damn farmers will just all buy 8 accounts so they can still play 24/7!
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Maldek
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 2089
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Posted: 08/24/05 - 21:00 Post subject:
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thats just straight crazy
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Ishmael
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Posts: 4446
Location: The US of A
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Posted: 08/24/05 - 22:03 Post subject:
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Yay communism.
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motherface
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 3407
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Posted: 08/24/05 - 23:06 Post subject:
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I like the "it-couldn't-happen-here" attitude.
Anyway, since that site sucks ass:
| Quote: | China blocks online gamers from playing for more than 3 consecutive hours
By Faye Wang
Shanghai. August 23. INTERFAX-CHINA - The Chinese Government unveiled a new system Tuesday to prevent individuals from playing online games for more than three consecutive hours, which must be installed for every online game in the country.
"This timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," Kou Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual and Internet Publication Department of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said during a press conference.
The new system, developed under the guidance of the GAPP, stops individuals from playing online games for more than three hours by cutting the abilities of game characters. The new system cuts the ability level of a player's online game character by half after he or she has played for more than three consecutive hours. Once a player has played for more than five consecutive hours, the system cuts the ability level of that player's character to the lowest level allowed by the game.
The system also lowers the ability of players to find treasures or prizes available in an online game after they have played for more than three consecutive hours.
Furthermore, the system keeps track of hours of play. Individuals who immediately log back onto a game after three hours of consecutive play will continue to have the ability of their game character lowered by the system. Players must be logged off for a minimum of five hours before the system resets.
The GAPP has defined the playing of online games for less than three consecutive hours as "healthy," playing three to five consecutive hours as "tiring," and playing for more than five consecutive hours as "unhealthy."
In addition, seven of China's largest online gaming firms pledged Tuesday to "sacrifice short-term revenues" to create a "healthy" environment for young internet users. Companies signing onto the "Beijing Accord" were Shanda, NetEase, The9, Optisp, Kingsoft, SINA, and Sohu. These seven companies also pledged to deploy the system when development is completed.
Development of the system is scheduled for completion at the end of September 2005. Internal testing is scheduled to begin in October of 2005. After internal testing, trial operations of the system will be held using the games "The Legend of Mir II" and "The World of Legend" operated by Shanda, "Westward Journey Online" and "Fantasy Westward Journey Online" operated by NetEase, "World of Warcraft" and "MU" operated by The9, "JX Online" and "First Myth Online" operated by Kingsoft, "The Legend of Mir 3G" operated by Optisp, "Lineage II" operated by SINA, and "Blade Online" operated by Sohu.
Compulsory deployment of the new system is expected to begin for all massive multiplayer online role-playing games and casual games in China in late 2005 or early 2006. |
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Pags
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3260
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Posted: 08/24/05 - 23:11 Post subject:
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You really think that would happen here? lol
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Brael
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2122
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 04:16 Post subject:
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Wow.
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Nictathan
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5531
Location: here... where I am... not with you
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 04:30 Post subject:
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Won't happen here. Developers would stop it before it ever came close to happening.
It's like if they said that TVs had to start turning the picture B&W after 3 hours and then after 5 it was just snow. Not going to happen.
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Aluaeia
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 5670
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 04:32 Post subject:
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So now instead of playing ONE game for 8 hours a day, chinese people have to subscribe to THREE MMORPG accounts to get full use out of their gaming time!
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principessa
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3149
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 08:16 Post subject:
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We don't have a national policy for regulating booze, tobacco, guns or anything else that some people think they know better about than others...we won't be regulating gaming anytime soon, either :p
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Sabathius
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2179
Location: San Angelo
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 08:25 Post subject:
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I like to try and figure out what the link is by the posts afterwards!
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kemble
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 14 Oct 2002
Posts: 1909
Location: MI
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 08:29 Post subject:
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| principessa wrote: | | We don't have a national policy for regulating booze, tobacco, guns or anything else that some people think they know better about than others...we won't be regulating gaming anytime soon, either :p |
Are you high?
Booze - heavily regulated on the federal, state, and local level (dry county anyone?)
Tobacco - (see booze)
Firearms - (see booze)
Ever hear of the BATFE (Bureau of ALCOHOL TOBACCO FIREARMS ans EXPLOSIVES)
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principessa
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3149
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 08:46 Post subject:
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Ok, rephrase..
NATIONAL policy, across the board.
That stuff is all state-regulated, isn't it? I mean, cigs cost 7.50 in NY but only 3.00 here in AR; liquor is cheaper (or was) in MA than in NY; guns...NY, very restrictive policies...AR..NO policies 
That's what I meant. But thanks for jumping all over me..it felt good :p
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Aluaeia
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 5670
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 08:52 Post subject:
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BATF is federal, the reason cigarettes are priced differently is state tax levels, nothing more.
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kemble
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 14 Oct 2002
Posts: 1909
Location: MI
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 09:23 Post subject:
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| principessa wrote: | Ok, rephrase..
NATIONAL policy, across the board.
That stuff is all state-regulated, isn't it? I mean, cigs cost 7.50 in NY but only 3.00 here in AR; liquor is cheaper (or was) in MA than in NY; guns...NY, very restrictive policies...AR..NO policies
That's what I meant. But thanks for jumping all over me..it felt good :p |
Glad I could brighten your day in some small way.
They are all regulated on a national level. You can't/wouldn't have a federal agency to enforce state laws. However, states have also glommed on and added taxes and in some cases laws that are more restrictive than the federal regulations.
Its not a question of prices of a product from one state to the next, its about legislation that outlines acceptable use in the eyes of the government for things that are otherwise legal.
Also, I'm not advocating 'no government' or anything like that. I'm just trying to provide a counterpoint to people that say 'that could never happen here'. You can never underestimate the power of denial.
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principessa
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3149
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 09:31 Post subject:
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K', I see what you and Alu are saying..I guess when I think of regulation, I think of availability, accessibility, and..price. I realize the pricing differences are usually state-induced; guess I was just thinking of THAT being the regulation.
Federal government has a "standard" I guess, but it seems that it is the states that cause the wide discrepancies in policy/regulation. This subject, along with most political/policy issues aren't my strongsuit. So I have learned something today
If they started taxing alcohol and cigarettes and gun sales in AR the way they do in other states, they'd have too much money to spend :p (I mentioned that, joking around, some weeks ago, in front of some colleagues..the looks I got were priceless LOLOL) DAMN YANKEE!
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Owyyn
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2900
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 10:47 Post subject:
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Look at the bright side. It's a direct kick in the balls to the gold farmers in WoW. 
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kireol
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 02 Aug 2003
Posts: 9517
Location: Royal Oak, MI
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 11:05 Post subject:
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man, just when they created that drug to counter the side effects o no sleep
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motherface
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 12 Mar 2003
Posts: 3407
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 11:19 Post subject:
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I wasn't referring to whether this could actually happen here or not, I was referring to the attitude that nothing like this could ever happen here. 10 years ago the thought of law enforcement being able to tap your phone or search your house without a warrant would be met with the same response - it can't happen here. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.
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kbarr
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 05 Oct 2004
Posts: 11239
Location: New York, now go fuck off...
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 15:07 Post subject:
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| motherface wrote: | | I wasn't referring to whether this could actually happen here or not, I was referring to the attitude that nothing like this could ever happen here. 10 years ago the thought of law enforcement being able to tap your phone or search your house without a warrant would be met with the same response - it can't happen here. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. |
11 years ago you always had too have a warrant to search?
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principessa
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 3149
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 15:13 Post subject:
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/snicker Kbarr.
Welcome back from vacation :p
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kbarr
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 05 Oct 2004
Posts: 11239
Location: New York, now go fuck off...
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 15:21 Post subject:
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| principessa wrote: | /snicker Kbarr.
Welcome back from vacation :p |
Ha!
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Nahualli
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8461
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 15:29 Post subject:
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| kemble wrote: | | principessa wrote: | | We don't have a national policy for regulating booze, tobacco, guns or anything else that some people think they know better about than others...we won't be regulating gaming anytime soon, either :p |
Are you high?
Booze - heavily regulated on the federal, state, and local level (dry county anyone?)
Tobacco - (see booze)
Firearms - (see booze)
Ever hear of the BATFE (Bureau of ALCOHOL TOBACCO FIREARMS ans EXPLOSIVES) |
It's actually not the same thing at all. We have regulations for how much is consumed within legal parameters, there's nothing stopping you from visiting 50 liquor stores and buying enough booze to drink yourself to death. This thing in China would be equivalent to strapping a device onto your neck which would physically prevent you from inhaling smoke or drinking another glass of booze after you had consumed the legal amount.
-Nah-
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Cardnyl
Luke Warm
Joined: 18 Jan 2004
Posts: 397
Location: FL
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 15:54 Post subject:
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| principessa wrote: | | We don't have a national policy for regulating booze, tobacco, guns or anything else that some people think they know better about than others...we won't be regulating gaming anytime soon, either :p |
Who needs policy when you have an agency for it?
yey ATF!
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Soriak
Toomuchtimeonhands
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 952
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 15:58 Post subject:
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I doubt they'll have problems with that new regulation... depending on what people are used to, they'll accept restrictions like that without feeling their rights violated...
Curfews (not nationwide,) 21 and over for alcohol/bars/clubs - all accepted in the US, but there's no way this would happen in Europe.
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Cardnyl
Luke Warm
Joined: 18 Jan 2004
Posts: 397
Location: FL
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 16:08 Post subject:
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| kireol wrote: | | man, just when they created that drug to counter the side effects o no sleep |
what drug?
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kbarr
RealPoor Jedi
Joined: 05 Oct 2004
Posts: 11239
Location: New York, now go fuck off...
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 16:45 Post subject:
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| Soriak wrote: | I doubt they'll have problems with that new regulation... depending on what people are used to, they'll accept restrictions like that without feeling their rights violated...
Curfews (not nationwide,) 21 and over for alcohol/bars/clubs - all accepted in the US, but there's no way this would happen in Europe. |
LOL, idiot.
BTW, are you male or female?
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xammer99
Luke Warm
Joined: 14 Mar 2003
Posts: 336
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Posted: 08/25/05 - 22:42 Post subject:
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This is actually more interesting than you think because it could drive the cost of entertainment through the damn roof in China when you considering the economic differences. Not to mention the social consequences.
Relevant information used:
a. Chinese State Law sets the minimum wage at $.35/hr.
b. US Federal Law sets the minimum wage at $5.15/hr.
c. Both countries, by law, set the work day at 8hrs.
d. China has 100 million online gamers.
Assumptions:
a. China has a 40hr/week, but I cannot find information to verify this.
b. 6 million Chinese play WoW
c. WoW costs approximately the same in China as the US. $40 upfront + $15/mo.
Conclusions:
a. To pay for the game, a Chinese gamer, on minimum wage, had to work 342hrs to buy the CD key.
b. To pay for the monthly subscription, a Chinese gamer, on minimum wage, has to work 43hrs. That is approximately 27% of his monthly income.
c. To arrive at the same cost to income ratios, in the US the game would cost $1761 up front and the monthly subscription fee would cost $221.
d. If the Chinese gamer in question does only work 8hrs/day & 40hrs/wk as the law demands, sleeps 8hrs per day, and spends 4hrs/day eating/commuting/family time, that leaves 4hrs/day of gaming time. Of that, 1 will be spent at ‘less than enjoyable’ performance levels for the game. On weekends it is up to 11hrs of gaming time which would require 3 accounts to perform at top levels, or 2 that have 2hrs at ‘bad time’ and 1hr of non gaming free time. A 2nd account, for a minimum wage gamer, would cost him another 2+ months of income, and 54% of his monthly income.
So, this gets interesting because the Chinese economy, if a lot of people get a 2nd account, could see a god awful huge portion of per capita income shift even more to paying for games. Even assuming that the average gamer has a well paying job of $1/hr ($15/hr equivalent in the US), he is still paying an entire week’s salary for the game itself and 1/3 of a week’s income for the monthly subscription feel. These aren’t small numbers, providing of course they are equivalent costs for the CD Key & Monthly subscription.
Where it gets REALLY interesting socially is with 100 million gamers of a population of 1.3 billion (7% of population, and a much higher % of the ‘educated’ population) who suddenly have a lot more free time on their hands that wasn’t being chewed up by the new opiate of the masses (online gaming). What they do with this free time is going to be interesting. They already have a serious pooch s***w of a problem in china in terms of population imbalance to the tune of about 20-30 million surplus young men (by surplus I mean 20-30 million men who will never ever find a wife because there aren’t enough women to go around because of the 1 child policy from the 80’s). Now just to make things even more fun, they are taking away a big chunk of their leisure activity of choice (seriously, anyone wanna bet that a big ass chunk of that 100 mil gamers consists of a very big ass chunk of that 20-30 million surplus men?). So you have a population that could elect to…
a. Devote more of its income to online gaming, raising it to approximately 50% of their monthly income to fill up the extra time. (This is bad because it means they aren’t consuming other products which hurts the Chinese economy because this huge consumer market is no longer spending a big chunk of its cash on Chinese products, but on a product that takes a very few individuals to create and was probably created in a foreign country.)
b. Devote more free time to getting educated and there by p****d off at how shafted they are getting by their government. (This is the last thing you want if you are the government in a totalitarian regime.)
If I had to bet, I’d put my money on a bit of both with some other unforeseen consequences boiling over too.
On a side note or two…
a. Heterosexual women, if you are from a dirt poor country where $1/hr is “doing good”, move to china, it’s a sellers market for you. You’ll have your pick of the litter.
b. Homosexual men, if you are from a dirt poor country where $1/hr is “doing good”, then move to China. It’s going to be the homosexual capital of the world in terms of raw numbers because all those surplus young men are going to be wanting some lovin and won’t have a woman to do it with.
c. Homosexual women, don’t go to China.
p.s. population statistics from July 2005 for China. (Yah CIA World Fact Book!)
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 148,134,928/female 131,045,415)
15-64 years: 71% (male 477,182,072/female 450,664,933)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 47,400,282/female 51,886,182) (2005 est.)
So for the below 64 population, the inbalance is 44 million surplus young men..
Last edited by xammer99 on 08/25/05 - 22:54; edited 1 time in total
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kireol
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 02 Aug 2003
Posts: 9517
Location: Royal Oak, MI
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