Total time underage players spent in Tencent games reduced by 88% after implementing new restrictions

Tencent has shared the results of its efforts to create the so-called healthy gaming environment. The Chinese tech giant noted how the latest restrictions implemented last year helped reduce total time spent by minors in its titles.

Tencent opened up about it in its latest ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) report, which was released last week and spotted by GameLook.

• In the fourth quarter of 2021, total time spent by underage players in the company’s games reduced by 88% year-over-year.
• These gamers contributed to 0.9% of total time spent across Tencent’s Chinese portfolio.
• The company’s revenues from underage players dropped 73% year-over-year, with these users accounting for only 1.5% of Tencent’s domestic revenues.

Last year, China cut playtime in online titles for minors to only three hours a week. Domestic companies had to follow new restrictions, with Tencent implementing a special anti-addiction system and real-name authentication to prevent underage users from bypassing the rules.

However, the Chinese government has been increasing its pressure on the games industry ever since. The measures include a licensing freeze, which lasted 263 days and ended earlier this month. On top of that, two of the country’s political bodies proposed even tougher restrictions like holding parents of game-addicted kids accountable.