With China’s recent regulations that restrict online video-game playtime of minors, one particular incident has suddenly caught attention. To play an online video game in China, it is required to facially verify your identity, which has been allegedly cheated by a minor. Recently, a 60-year-old Honor of Kings gamer has recorded Penta kills, which has China’s video gaming industry giant, Tencent Holdings, has vaguely stated about their uncertainty if a player somehow bypassed their facial recognition system, reports SCMP Tech.
Regulations set for verification
Such regulations and restrictions have created an underground market for game accounts that are logged in with adult credentials for real-name registration. While other kids have tried to convince their grandparents into registering accounts for them, which the in-game verification fails to detect.
According to Tencent, they suggest that parents or grandparents be vigilant to avoid being tricked into bypassing the game’s facial recognition by their kids or grandkids.
Looking into the story
According to Tencent’s investigation, it was discovered based on the person’s national identification number that the credentials belonged to a 60-year-old – born in 1961. This 60-year-old appeared to have played Honor of Kings at 3 am and performed an impressive Penta kill, meaning 5 consecutive kills in the game.
Among the Chinese gaming community, word of this gamer’s feat spread like wildfire across social media and it was speculated that the person behind the screen must be someone much younger than they are impersonating themselves to be so that they can steer around age restrictions.
Following the events, Tencent stated on Weibo, a microblogging platform, that after 3 days of investigation they have recorded that the player triggered the facial recognition system of the game 17 times this year since March. But they can’t say for certain if the player had persuaded the 60-year-old person’s help to pass the game’s facial recognition system because they don’t have the jurisdiction to investigate further.
Fake IDs by minors for game verification
While kids have been digging up crafty workarounds to play games online, some kids have gone as far as using fake IDs or going to smartphone arcades that help them get past verification.
Upon the occurrence of such incidents, online game verification approvals have gotten slower and stricter as well as inflicting increased pressures on video game companies amid Beijing’s growing criticism of the industry and implicating tighter restrictions to reduce gaming addiction in minors.
Including video game industry giants like Tencent and NetEase, a minimum of 41 Chinese video game developers have shown public support of the new rules declared by NPPA’s announcement in August, according to the state-backed China Game Publishers Association Publications Committee.
What are your thoughts on this Honor of Kings 60-year-old person baffling Tencent at midnight? Let us know in the comments section below!
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