Ministry gets tough on online gaming

BEIJING - The country's Ministry of Culture (MOC) has meted out a tentative regulation on the administration of online games, stipulating that online game players should register their real names before participating in virtual competitions in cyberspace.

The regulation, which is the first official document focusing on China's thriving online gaming industry, will become effective on Aug 1. It applies to all domestic and imported multiplayer role-playing games as well as social networking games.

The measure came after the number of China's online game players skyrocketed to 105 million as of April, according to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the State Internet administrator.