Monday 23 / December / 2024
Muscat: PUBG’s new update will temporarily suspend access to gamers who spend too much time playing it.
The update, which aims to limit the amount of time gamers in Oman and 14 other Arab countries spend playing it, and could be rolled out to other nations in the future.
The new update, which is part of its Gameplay Management system, aims to promote responsibly gameplay and ensure people don’t spend too much time immersing themselves in a digital lifestyle.
Gameplay Management is a system of reminders and checks for players to ensure they enjoy PUBG Mobile in a sustainable and balanced manner. It empowers gamers to take control of their digital lifestyle while playing the game online.
All players will need to confirm their age to activate the Gameplay Management system once they update to version 13.5, with players under the age of 18 having to acknowledge a gaming advisory before they can start the game.
As part of its commitment to encourage a sustainable digital lifestyle, the game has created a notification system for younger players to help them better monitor and manage their time spent playing the game. If accumulated gameplay is between four to six hours, players under the age of 18 will be notified of total time spent on the game. If gameplay exceeds six hours, the system will temporarily suspend access, encouraging players to take 15-minute breaks every two hours before resuming the game.
“As developers of one of the most popular mobile games in the world, we strive to provide the best gaming environment. The wellbeing of our players is of paramount interest and we have an ongoing initiative to encourage players to enjoy PUBG Mobile in a balanced way,” said Herman Zhao, Director of PUBG Mobile Operations Team in the Middle East and North Africa region.
He added: “PUBG Mobile has been a leader in the advancement of responsible gaming and we are committed to promoting a balanced gaming experience for our players. The expansion of the Gameplay Management system across the Middle East is a testament to our efforts in this space.”
The system was piloted across five Middle East nations earlier this year, before being extended across the entire region. The new markets to now have access to the Gameplay Management system include: Lebanon, Oman, Jordan, Algeria, Palestine, Bahrain, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen. The pilot countries included the UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Gamers in the region welcomed the new additions, which aimed to curb excessive time playing the game.
“I find this feature to be very useful for kids who play the game for long hours and believe it will have an appropriate impact on their routine and the time they spend immersed in the gameplay,” said Hemo King, a gamer who runs a popular YouTube gaming channel. “Parents should continue to monitor and manage the amount of time children play games, but it is a helpful and very positive step taken by PUBG Mobile to introduce tools to help with this.”
Aeod1407, another gamer who owns a similar YouTube channel, added: “This is a great initiative from PUBG Mobile to care for the wellbeing of its players. For gamers under 18 years old, it’s important to create an environment for them to enjoy the game in a balanced way and ensure they do not play it for too long. It’s a responsible move from PUBG Mobile and I’m glad to see them championing this cause, but managing and monitoring the gameplay of minors is still the responsibility of parents.”
