South Korea seeks to impose gaming curfew, makes computers 'edgy' and 'cool' in the process
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 13th 2010 11:39AM
posted April 13th 2010 11:39AM
Seems like China and the UK aren't the only countries worried about their kid's computing habits. According to the BBC, the South Korean government is currently mulling over plans to regulate just how much time -- and at what time -- kids play video games. It seems that a number of services are ready to follow through with suggestions made by the country's Ministry of Culture, including: Maple Story, Mabinogi (no access granted to school-age gamers between midnight and 8 am) and Dungeon and Fighter (slowing down user's connection after they've been logged in for a certain period of time). Nineteen games are said to be included in total, which is a significant portion of the country's online gaming market. This will inevitably force kids to build their own underground games on disused servers, like Chia and her friends did in William Gibson's Idoru. They'll need to do something with those 1Gbps connections, right?
"Seems like China and the UK aren't the only countries worried about their kid's computing habits."
LOL. What's great is seeing the UK lumped in with China. Nothing like government knowing what's good for you.
@Darkseider
Days like these I'm glad I live in the US. If there was a gaming curfew in America I dont know what I'd do at 3am on a Saturday night or when I can't sleep.
@Darkseider
It's not that surprising to see that we are lumped with china:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/0,39029552,49305418,00.htm
I know it isn't the same thing, but internet curfews may be the government's next step, and that is why I feel unlucky as a resident of the UK.
@Jaylittles531
You young'uns are too young to remember, but the US has already been through this phase. Back in the heyday of the 'arcade' (yeah, believe it or not we used to have these rooms where kids would gather and put round pieces of metal into machines in order to play video games), many communities placed restrictions on kids going to arcades. In my hometown, you could only go certain hours of the day and needed a signed permission slip from your parents (no joke!). Of course, I don't think a single actual parent ever signed a permission slip, but that was just for the arcade owners to cover their asses.
@Darkseider : "slowing down user's connection after they've been logged in for a certain period of time" ...Comcast has been doing this for ages.
@grapeDrank After the first year this goes into effect there will be a new headline.
"Teenage Pregnancy is up by 600% in South Korea!"
After what happened with the starving kid and the parents busy playing that 'raise a baby' game maybe they need a curfew for addicted parents.
@Jaylittles531 You lot used to ban alcohol, didn't you?
@Darkseider Well, the Korean Government may start handing out contraceptive when they start the curfew, you never know...
@Jaylittles531 How about a nice game of chess?
*using evil voice* in 2012 south koreans will have 1gbps internet.....
...but can only use it between 3 and 4pm.
DUH DUH DUHHHH
I can see it now. An underground crime syndicate that caters to gamers that need their fix in the middle of the night. 1920's chicago all over again.
@matty In other words, these restrictions will be Al Capowned!! :D
@matty
If gaming is outlawed, only outlaws will have games.
@matty
I can understand the good intentions coming from this law, but I can also definitely see a rise in crime rates if it ever comes to pass.
@matty you sir, are exactly correct!! when there is a big enough demand for something, no law will stop it. history and statistics show it to be true. thats why outlawing drugs and prostitution is pointless and actually creates more problems than it solves.
I'm assuming Starcraft is going to be lumped into that list right? Or is it considered a holy sport in S. Korea, and therefore untouchable?
@Prevacator
Well if they did ban it, we can just 4 pool the crap out of them. :]
Ya lets start a gaming curfew so that all those gang members cant hang out in the house and play video games but go out on the streets and do it for real!
so.... slow down the connection so it takes longer to finish up that online game of scrabble? Yup, makes perfect sense!
Of course, i expect bisu, jaedong, etc to be exempt from such silliness :P
The revolution will not be televised...or streamed between 8-4..
I don't stay up late or play computer games, but I suddenly want to now.
@kwahhn
the thing is, South Korean kids aren't staying up late to play games in the early monring.
They have school for like 14 hours a day, rarely get 6 hours of sleep etc, and they still have homework to do.
this law basically prevents them from playing at all.
Watch some Korean porn in the downtime!
How do they plan on differentiating between kids and adults? Enter your birthdate here?
@Spaceshipped i'm pretty sure in korea if you want to do anything you have to log in creating an account which you are required to give your SSN.. but i'm sure people find ways around it all the time internet lyfe = gangsta's paradise
@Spaceshipped I don't know the age at which they give out their registration cards/numbers (probably at birth for a number?), but I'd think to properly enforce it they'd need to use that number.
@Spaceshipped In Korea, you are given a number like the VIN of your car (i noe bad comparison but still), it is based on your birthdate and some random 7 more digits following it.
Almost all membership require this number to play the game anyway. Therefore the system can differentiate child vs adult.
Problem is that any kid can fake by using their grandma's or grandpa's security number to join membership to play game or watch pOrn cause pOrn is illegal in Korea and you must be over 18 to have access such websites.
@jinjin
I see, that gives this idea a little more validity, but still not much.
@Spaceshipped, I agree, this is a very bad idea. No matter how much the governement tries, people will get around the restrictions. Once your addicted, thats it you wont stop. I know this from previous experience
@planner
You are Number 6, I am Number 2.
When you have governments like these who needs parents anymore? Next there's gonna be laws on when you have to go to bed and how much vegetables they should eat.
@serapthi
I imagine it's actually an attempt by the government to dissuade child abuse when grades go down from too much gaming.
I use to teach in korea and man those kids got beat, but still really love their video games!
@serapthi
There are people even in this country who would love to tax your "bad" foods and "force" you to eat your vegetables...
@paul34 And their names are "parents"?
It'll never work, It'll never work, It'll never work, and neither will they again.
I am a father of 5 children.. all gamers. Originally my 3 youngest, in grade school, never played games cause all i owned were more graphics games for the older boys (High School) they got to play a hello kitty game or reader rabbit style game once in a while.
We have a few soft rules in place about how long they can play games.. i will randomly kick them off all electronics and send them outside to play for 2-3 hours... It works out great infact.. since I allowed the little ones to play game mor eoften they have taken those games and created outside versions.
Left 4 dead Tag... It's a mix of Hide and seek, Dodgeball, and some other team based rules they came up with... a year ago thier minds could not comprehend such intricate rules, but after playing Halo and left 4 dead and experiencing map selection and changing rules in the settings they were able to create outdoor games with complicated rules.
I go outside with them now and play as a zombie or an assassin on a daily basis.
Everyone goes to bed at a specific time based on childs age, grade performance, and attitude.
I recently gave my 2 older boys (15 and 17) a no rules, rule... they can stay up as late as they want play any games they want as long as they want.. no stipulations... they have impressed me greatly. they go ouside randomly and play.. thier friends come over and they will all just head outside at random and play outside fore 1-2 hours. they go to bed at reasonable hours through out the week...
Being the parent of 5 children has to be the easiest job in the world, even when you have an emergency room vistit, and optomitrist appointment and a violin lesson my wife is working late at work, and i need to go in extra early the next day... and my life feels really laid back... maybe I am lucky.. maybe I am just good at this, maybe my kids are awesome... whatever the reason i find it hard to relate to parents who see thier kids control them... I talk to other parents who act like they are going to get in trouble if they don't find the 3 games thier kids asked for...
My first response is "Wait your on welfare and foodstamps, how can you afford to buy your kid 3 $60-$70 games?" my 2nd response is "didn't your oldest just drop out of H.S.?"
I grew up in a very snobbish community and went to a very snobbish school "Hendricken" i now live in one of the highest crime rate cities in my state. Yet all my kids do great, all thier friends are aces... It really makes it feel like we have all the power no matter our situation it is up to US to make the best of it.
sorry I am yet another internet yuppy who allowed a quick comment to become a giant rant... mark be among the rest of the people like me. LOL
@origosis
Where's the "like" button, like on facebook?
@dcnoren
It's that little plus sign right above REPLY, under REPORT and to the left of the minus sign.
Looks like this: +
hopefully starcraft is on the list
@wako
agreed. without Starcraft or the upcoming Starcraft II there will still be rampant gaming binges going on in Korea. a few years back when i visited they had 3 full time cable channels which broadcast nothing but recorded Starcraft tournaments 24/7. it was madness.
I know a loophole in the system!
http://blog.codefront.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/outside_mmorpg.jpg
It has the best graphics of any game out there and runs at full speed no matter who's playing it...But there is one problem...
http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_koxmpqAyR71qzflvuo1_500.jpg
South Koreans don't play WoW?
I can't be the only highschool teacher in the States to say: bring it over here, please.
@Dan Fruzzetti I can tell your kids don't like you very much.
@Dan Fruzzetti
Why do teachers care about that? If they (students) sleep in lessons and stuff- call home. The government isn't our parent!
So, offline game sales will rise. Seems like a boon to the non-mmo market.
I DEFINITELY need this curfew imposed on me as well to be honest >.
"(no access granted to school-age gamers between midnight and 8 am)"
Id say, lets bring it over here. Im stick of all the little brats acting like jerks on my mmo's lol