“Tech for Good is one of Tencent’s missions and visions, and League of Legends is adhering to this to make the world warmer,” said Su, adding that the title developed by US subsidiary Riot Games has contributed to more than 10 philanthropic projects covering environmental protection and medical service improvements over the past decade.
ByteDance retreat from video games shows even mighty can fall in risky market
ByteDance retreat from video games shows even mighty can fall in risky market
Liu Jie, senior director of NetEase’s Gaming Social Responsibility Promotion Centre, said the Hangzhou-based company has been working to include traditional culture and “patriotic spirit” in titles such as the popular casual game Eggy Party. The goal is to better shape the values of young people while they are playing, Liu said.
miHoYo, the creator of blockbuster titles Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, is also integrating elements of Chinese culture and geography into its anime-style games. This includes the picturesque karstic landscape of Guilin and traditional local opera in Genshin Impact, according to Ge Shangqing, who is responsible for social responsibility and public welfare projects at the Shanghai-based studio.
The remarks reflect Beijing’s efforts to curb the perceived social ill of video game addiction among minors. China implements one of the world’s most restrictive video game regulations, limiting people under the age of 18 to playing between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays.
Zhang Yijun, director of the Game Publishing Committee, said there are still loopholes in the implementation of existing rules to keep kids away from screens. For instance, around a third of people under 18 are still using their parents’ identity information to register game accounts and bypass the limit.
As the industry faces regulatory pressure and a slow economy, some companies have retreated from what was once seen as a lucrative path to boosting revenue.
