China has slowed the release of new video games for the time being over fears that the country's youth are becoming addicted and are falling under bad influences, the South China Morning Post reports.
Hit hard are the gamemakers Tencent Holdings and NetEase, two major players in the Chinese market.
The licensing process has already been slowed for more that a month, the Post reported, quoting an unnamed government official.
A second source said new game approvals will be on hold "for a while" because the goal is to "cut the number of new games" and "reduce gaming addiction" in China, the world's largest video gaming market.
A third person who attended a meeting between government officials and industry executives said the delays were necessary to "ensure a smooth and successful deployment" of plans to cut gaming addiction in minors.
At the meeting held Wednesday, Tencent and NetEase were told to "strictly enforce" the latest rule limiting gaming time for players under 18.
They have also been told to remove what government authorities have called the "wrong set of values" from their games, including "worshipping money" and "gay love."
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