Report, Telecom News, ET Telecom

China is reviewing the new games to make sure they meet stricter criteria for content and child protection, Bloomberg News said Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The media watchdog is reassessing titles submitted for approval by game developers from Tencent Holdings Ltd to Netease Inc to ensure they meet new restrictions imposed in August, according to the report.

Tencent declined to comment on the report and Netease did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

China last month banned more than three hours of video games a week for people under 18, a strict rule aimed at ending a growing addiction to what it once called “spiritual opium.”

In late August, the National Press and Publications Administration (NPPA) asked developers to resubmit titles in accordance with the new measures, according to the report.

Regulators are cracking down on the increasingly popular zombie-themed games that are considered “too scary” by NPPA standards, he added.

Review has also been stepped up on topics that regulators consider undesirable, such as “boy love” themes that have recently become all the rage, he said.

China has cracked down on a wide range of industries, from technology to education and real estate, as it tightens control after years of rampant growth.