Chinese mobile developers are reacting in anger and bewilderment to new government rulesstating that all new mobile games must be pre-approved 20 business days before launch.

Since 1 July, China's State Administration of Press and Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) has been responsible for this.

And just 6 days after the implementation of these rules, developers are already taking to social media to vent their frustrations.

Language barrier

One is reporting that his game was rejected for the inclusion of English words and phrases such as "mission start" and "warning." Another found himself on the receiving end of the same, seemingly arbitrary rule, for the words "go" and "lucky."

Language is one of the things SAPPRFT is keen to clamp down on and standardise, also forbidding the use of traditional Chinese characters.

SAPPRFT has also come under heavy criticism for the length of time that its vetting process takes. It's stated that developers should receive a response within 30 days, but it's been reported that some are facing a wait of up to four months.

Smash the system

Chen Yu, an independent Chinese developer, believes that these rules are a direct threat to indies - and is suing SAPPRFT as a result.

“With these new regulations, all independent game developers and small enterprises will be driven out of the market, with no glimmer of hope for survival,” he told Sixth Tone.

It's a case of David vs. Goliath litigation, but Yu hopes to at least raise a discussion about the new legislation and the difficulties it is directly causing small businesses.

[Source: Tech in Asia]