Contributing Expert
In December 2023, China released a set of proposed regulations on its video gaming industry. The regulations would have targeted many of the most common monetization features in video games — like daily log-in rewards, bonuses for first-time users of in-game currencies, and “loot boxes,” a kind of randomized prize draw that some liken to legalized gambling. But then something happened: The release of the proposals caused Chinese gaming stocks to plunge, and the government quickly walked the regulations back.
Here we unpack what this incident tells us about the regulatory power of the Chinese government, the influence of China’s tech industry, and even government anxieties about online life. For more, read a related commentary by the Baker Institute’s Brandon Zheng.
This conversation was recorded on May 21, 2024. A transcript is available here. This text was AI-generated and has not been through editorial review.
Discussants
Steven W. Lewis, Ph.D.
C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow, Baker Institute
Brandon Zheng
Research Associate, China Studies Program, Baker Institute
The Honorable David M. Satterfield
Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
Baker Briefing is a podcast that tackles the most critical foreign and domestic policy issues of the day in conversations with experts at the Baker Institute. Hosted by the Honorable David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute, new episodes are released weekly.
Each episode of Baker Briefing is recorded in front of a live audience at Rice University in Houston, Texas. You can attend live recordings by joining the Baker Roundtable, the Baker Institute’s membership forum.
This material may be quoted or reproduced without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given to the author and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The views expressed herein are those of the individual author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
