On January 3rd, NetEase Games announced that its entire product line will add a "minor mode" on top of the anti addiction system, providing users with one click content blocking, "NetEase Parent Care Platform" management, anti cyberbullying and other protective function options. On a policy level, starting from January 1st, as the first specialized comprehensive legislation on the protection of minors on the internet in China, the Regulations on the Protection of Minors on the Internet (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) have been officially implemented. In fact, in recent years, under the strong guidance of relevant departments, game companies have explored from multiple perspectives and continuously contributed new ideas to the protection of minors. The network protection system for minors has been increasingly improved, and the sense of network security for "digital natives" has been continuously enhanced.
"One click ban on playing" "One click ban on charging"
The addition of "minor mode" in NetEase Games is a new round of weaving for the protection of minors, based on the integration of anti addiction systems in all products.
According to public information, the first batch of 34 pilot products have been deployed. As the first pilot product under NetEase Games, "Egg Party" has been in trial operation in "underage mode" and has been used 5.37 million times so far.
In the "Minors Mode", parents can bind their children's accounts through the "NetEase Parental Care Platform" and remotely manage their children's game duration and consumption. They can set one click ban on playing and charging, and also add one click content blocking and anti cyberbullying functions.
The protection of minors on the internet has become a must answer question for gaming companies. In the summer of 2023, NetEase Games announced that through the summer non guaranteed special action, it will upgrade the recognition and interception of the minor protection system, social protection, content protection, and black industry crackdown, and for the first time explore customized content for minors in the game.
Starting from January 1st, the Regulations will officially come into effect, which specifies that online game and other online service providers should set up a minors mode based on the characteristics of minors at different age groups using their services, and provide access management, consumption management, and other functions for guardians to fulfill their guardianship duties in a prominent and convenient manner.
The layout of NetEase Games in the protection of minors is also a microcosm of the entire gaming industry. With the strong guidance of relevant departments, game companies have explored from multiple perspectives, and the consumption of minors in games has continued to decrease. The 2023 Progress Report on the Protection of Minors in China's Game Industry shows that 28.86% of underage game users have reduced their consumption, and the problem of excessive gaming by minors has been effectively improved. The game industry has entered a new stage of anti addiction.
Unprotected annual investment exceeds 100 million yuan
NetEase Games previously disclosed that it invests an average of over 100 million yuan annually in the protection of minors.
In terms of specific gaming business, NetEase's latest financial report shows that the gaming business has made a significant contribution to the company's total revenue. In the third quarter, NetEase's net revenue from gaming and related value-added services increased by 16.5% year-on-year, reaching 21.8 billion yuan, accounting for nearly 80% of the net revenue in the third quarter.
In terms of new games, the recently disclosed approval information for domestic online games in December 2023 includes NetEase games "Firefly Assault" and "Poetry of the Four Directions". According to the official website, NetEase's new game "Shooting Sculpture" will start a "three end roaming" paid deletion test on January 12th, entering the final preparation stage before its launch.
How to maintain the prosperity of the gaming industry while safeguarding the rights and interests of minors is a problem that gaming companies need to seriously consider and strive to solve. Game industry analyst Wei Mingye pointed out that the promotion of relevant measures by top companies will drive the entire game industry to adopt more self-discipline measures in the future to ensure the healthy development of game products.