Since the Chinese government has ordered domestic companies like Shanda and NetEase.com to install an anti-addiction system and a "real name checking" system by July 15, there are lots of people making dissatisfied and suspicious grumbling noises. Will the information tied to each ID card required to register an account be safe? Aren't kids these days smart enough to get around this stuff? While the government is defending the new plan and regulations, enterprising gamers and internet cafes are already figuring out ways to get around the system - and make money in the process.

According to Pacific Epoch, one internet cafe "recently began a promotion that offers an adult game account to underage gamers if they purchase monthly prepaid game cards .... Another Internet cafe is recommending gamers open at least three game accounts so that they can play for longer." Another (delightfully snarky) article in The Inquirer claims:

An obviously deviant gamer asked at a game forum, "I want to get a game account, can anyone give me an identity number?" The reply from another such gamer, "No problem. I have over two million real numbers. I am interested in retail sales." Yet another helpfully provided the URL for a website where you can download an ID card number generator. The ID card numbers from the generator match up with real numbers from the Public Security Bureau's database.

While the Chinese government thinks it can ban and zap gamers into playing only "healthy" amounts of online games, it would appear that Chinese gamers and net cafes have very different ideas. I can't wait to see how the central government is going to tackle this problem. Maggie Greene

Gaming addiction 'can be curtailed' [via the Shanghai Daily]