Possible end to RMT(those based in China at least)?

[pawis]

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/01/new ... e-reg.html

New Chinese Regulations May Block Foreign MMOs
By Earnest Cavalli EmailJanuary 25, 2008 | 5:19:53 PMCategories: Politics

Chinaflag The government agencies responsible for regulating online gaming in China have passed new regulations that could allow Chinese gaming companies to functionally block the distribution of foreign MMOs within the country.

The new regulations give China's General Administration of Press and Publication (the group responsible for the rating and censorship of games, television, books, etc.) the ability to indefinitely postpone their evaluation (and thus, the public release) of a game if that game's creators or publisher is currently being "sued or targeted for arbitration" by a Chinese game company. Until the suit or complaint is resolved, the GAPP has the option to eternally delay any title's release.

Obviously China can defend these regulations ad nauseam by saying they don't want to clog their court systems or allow any title to be released with proper inspection, but the possibilities created by this decision are quite nefarious.

I don't think it takes a huge leap of logic to see Chinese firms repeatedly suing American MMO companies (for example Blizzard), simply to keep them from competing fairly for the Chinese gaming market.

After all, World of Warcraft's unprecedented success surely didn't go unnoticed by Chinese MMO publishers, and you have to imagine they'd be very happy to see any kind of assistance in the inevitable battle they'll have to fight for their home country's playerbase.

Undoubtedly, losing the market would be a huge financial loss for those titles made in other countries, as China is estimated to have nearly 59 million online gamers by the end of this year.

If these regulations are applied explicitly to prevent foreign competition by Chinese games manufacturers, the last few decades of Chinese adoption of Western capitalist values would be set back greatly.

[Izzy]

Won't matter, they'll still either just import or buy from a 3rd party elsewhere. RMT aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

[Catrina]

Anything short of a complete foreign IP lockdown and they will find a way.

[Ferien]

Anything short of a complete foreign IP lockdown and they will find a way.

1. It's China, that's still a possibility.

2. Even if they do, there's always a way around it.

[Intense]

2. Even if they do, there's always a way around it.

Is the way around is cost efficient?

[Kongolo]

That would surly cut down there number and activities, but they still will be there.

[Osede]

well, china's main problem still are they got way too much old mind butthead 40years old ppl that ruining the country lol... (if anyone interested on the deathnote banned story)

seem like i missed some news because of didn't visit some website there. last few times I only heard about the government set up some sort of program that asking every mmo company to installed in there server. So that they can prevent underage children not spending too much times on mmorpg. I might need go to check this new stuff out >.>

[GRX3000D]

I don't see how or why this would be able to stop RMT in China from doing anything, this law only targets those being sued or targetted by Chinese developers.

[orson]

Personally I see this as unfair for the Chinese people, I feel for them. As much as there are Chinese RMT what the Chinese government is doing is regulation. Sure maybe it is to "protect" domestic MMO producers but more then likely this is just another attempt for the government to crush "internet addiction" AKA foreign thoughts of democracy and other freedoms. I can't be glad when a country won't allow their citizens basic freedoms. If China actually gave two shits about the rest of the world then companies like SE and Blizzard might actually have some recourse against RMT instead of just banning them.

Edit: Also I'm sure there's some very talented Chinese game developers so in reality what they need to do is bring out some good games to compete. Hell I don't care where a game is made just if it's any good or not. They'd just have to get some decent engrish translators.

[Doofus]

I don't see how or why this would be able to stop RMT in China from doing anything, this law only targets those being sued or targetted by Chinese developers.

I think the point is the government could sue SE for something trivial like having Guns in the game, claiming they invented gunpowder and have the international patent on it and tie it up in court forever, thus no more ffxi in china(legally)
Just another method china would use to control the country, no logic needed.
I could be wrong though.

[Neisan]

But the Chinese themselves invented gunpowder iirc...

One can only hope this MIGHT stem the tide, but like all good things, that never happens :/

[Doofus]

But the Chinese themselves invented gunpowder iirc...

I'm pretty sure thats what I said >.>

[Khamsin]

If RMTs find ways around it, the Chinese government could always just crack down on them. I assume they must be pretty rigid in enforcing their laws? It'll be a lot easier to deal with RMT when their own government is conducting investigations and flushing them out of their holes and arresting them for playing foreign MMOs.

But it may not apply to FFXI since FFXI isn't officially distributed in China in the first place.

However, if they wanted to take the easy way out, they could just block SE's IP.

[GRX3000D]

I don't see how or why this would be able to stop RMT in China from doing anything, this law only targets those being sued or targetted by Chinese developers.

I think the point is the government could sue SE for something trivial like having Guns in the game, claiming they invented gunpowder and have the international patent on it and tie it up in court forever, thus no more ffxi in china(legally)
Just another method china would use to control the country, no logic needed.
I could be wrong though.

Well, China could already do stuff like that if you think about it... say, IP Block.