The Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) is working on a draft decision on managing online games in Vietnam.
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According to the draft decision, the Government will assign provincial governments to set opening and closing times for Internet cafes. In locations with no regulations, Internet cafes will not be allowed to supply online game service after 10pm.
For games that have interaction between gamers with servers, gamers are not permitted to play the same online game more than 3 hours per day. Those that have limited number of gamers and the interaction between them is simple and low-tension, such as chess, game providers are allowed to provide 24/7 service. Cultural and educational games are encouraged by permitting a gamer to play 4-5 hours/game/day.
To restrict small firms with weak capital and technology from distributing online games, which makes the online game market scattered, MoIC and the Finance Ministry will issue licensing regulations. The draft also encourages Vietnamese firms to develop online games and restrict foreign game imports. Accordingly, game providers have to register games one year before they import the games.
Related to virtual assets in games, the draft said that virtual items are not assets and they can’t be converted into money or assets in any form. An MoIT official remarked that objects in online games are not recognized as assets in the world and conflicts between gamers and game providers are not civil conflicts.
Some experts suggested using the Vietnamese language in imported games and banning advertising online games in the media or on outdoor panels, similar to the ban on advertising cigarettes.
The draft decision will be finalized and introduced on MoIT’s website in the next several months for the public’s comments.
Ha Phuong
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