Local aficionados of online games will only be allowed to play during a certain period of time and for a particular amount of hours.

Players under 18 years old must only play multiplayer online games from 8am to 10pm and for no more than 180 minutes a day, according t a draft circular intended to provide guidance for the government’s Decree No.72 that oversees the management of the online game business.

Multiplayer online game is defined as a multiplayer video game which can be played via a game server, operated by businesses, over the Internet.

Game operators are also required to repeatedly inform players of information about the content rating of the games they are providing, as well as displaying the caution “Playing game for more than 180 minutes a day will harm your health” on their website homepages, forums, and the game playing screens.

The operators should also apply technical measures to ensure that gamers cannot play for more than three hours a day even when they wish to.

Other requirements for game operators include a minimum registered capital of VND10 billion and a system to store and manage information of players such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and ID numbers.

They should also keep record of the playing details of the players, including their accounts, IP addresses, and time of playing.

The circular also stipulates that the online games should not have violent, horrific, and sexual contents.

Should the businesses fail to launch their games within six months from the date of obtaining the approval for their contents, the licenses will be revoked and will not be reissued until a year later.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is collecting public feedback for the bill from now to January 11, 2014.