The Ministry of Information and Communications is elaborating a draft decision on management of online games in Vietnam.
Under the draft paper, opening and closing hours of Internet agents and the distance from Internet agents to schools would still comply with current regulations, Government Decree No. 97/2008/ND-CP of August 28, 2008. Accordingly, opening and closing hours of Internet agents would be set by provincial-level administrations. In localities without such regulations, Internet agents would not be allowed to provide online game services after 10 p.m.
Online games are defined in the draft paper as video games played over the Internet with the interaction between gamers and servers of game providers through terminal devices. Gamers are not permitted to play a single game of this type for more than three hours per day. Particularly for simple games, which involve a limited number of gamers with simple interaction and do not cause psychological tension such as chess, game providers are allowed to provide services around the clock. Cultural and educational games are encouraged by permitting a gamer to play four or five hours a day.
The draft paper assigns the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Finance to jointly issue licensing regulations. Violating enterprises would have their licenses withdrawn for one year. To encourage the development of domestic games and restrict import of foreign games, the draft stipulates that game providers must register imported games one year before the importation.
The draft regulations says that virtual assets in games are not real and they cannot be converted into real money or assets in any form.-