Bilibili to Add Age Restrictions to Chinese Server Smartphone Games

Chinese media site Bilibili announced that it will be implementing age restrictions for several popular smartphone games’ Chinese servers, following moves made by Tencent in compliance with China’s initiative to safeguard children from video game addiction. Titles affected include games by Japanese companies like Fate/Grand Order and BanG Dream!, as well as Chinese-developed games like Azur Lane and Girl’s Frontline. [Thanks, Bahamut!]

The new “Bilibili Health System” is something like a curfew and will begin later in March 2020 in China. How this is being implemented is via several ways:

• There will be a log-in time restriction for players who are under 18 years old. From 10pm to 8am on the next day, they will not be able to log-in and play the game.
• As minors play the game, the amount of time they’re online will be tracked. Playing for 1.5 hours or less counts as “healthy” game time, while more than 1.5 hours constitutes “unhealthy” gaming time.
• During regular holidays, three hours or less constitutes “healthy” gaming time, and more than that is “unhealthy.”
• If players who are minors cross the “healthy” gaming time mark, they will be forced to go offline and will not be able to log in anymore on that day. Additionally, the system will send reminders of gaming time length and login restrictions to the player, in order to encourage the player to only play a healthy amount of time, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, and during the forced shutdown of the game.

Additionally,

• Players under 8 years old are not able to use payment services in-game
• 8-15 year olds are able to pay at most 50 Chinese yuan per purchase (around $7 USD) and are limited to spending only 200 yuan at most per month
• 16-17 year olds will be able to pay at most 100 yuan per purchase (around $14 USD), up to 400 yuan per month. Reminders will also be given regarding payment as well.

The system will begin service on March 10, 2020 in games that are being run by Bilibili within China.