The Standard of Recommended Healthy Video Games for Chinese adolescents has been unveiled, the first of its kind in China.

The new standard comes after the establishment of the Video Games Committee under the Chinese Adolescents Internet Association, reported China Radio International.

The new standard stipulates that all video games be rated for such things as degree of violence, pornography, terror and content of cyber chatting, and be divided into 3 categories - for junior middle school students, senior school students and adults.

Only the first two categories can be recommended as healthy games for adolescents.

Experts say this standard is of great significance to the development of Chinese video games, because it may raise the social awareness of video game developers and encourage them to develop games suitable for Chinese adolescents.

(CRI September 29, 2004)