Vietnam will soon impose a play time quota of a maximum five hours daily as well as other restrictions in an effort to deter people, especially children, from playing online computer games.
The Ministries of Culture and Information and of Public Security unveiled Thursday an ordinance on online game management which is expected to come into effect late this month.
Accordingly, the quota scheme imposes penalties on players who spend more than three hours a day playing a game by halving the gained points of their virtual character in the following two hours.
Beyond these five hours gamers" characters can no longer gain points or levels.
Besides, online game shops have to locate at least 200 meters from the nearest school, and can only open from 6am to 11pm, the ordinance says.
Children under 14 years old playing at the online game shops must be accompanied by an adult, it also says.