Game live broadcast chaos is frequent, and it is urgent to take strong measures to supervise.
In order to rectify the chaos, on April 15, 2022, the Department of Online Audio-visual Program Management of the State Administration of Radio and Television and the Publication Bureau of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee issued the Notice on Strengthening the Management of Game Live Broadcasting on Online Audio-visual Program Platforms (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice").
The circular puts forward six major provisions, such as strictly prohibiting online audio-visual platforms from disseminating illegal games, strengthening the management of the broadcast of game live broadcast content, strengthening the guidance of the code of conduct of game anchors, strictly prohibiting illegal and immoral personnel from using live broadcasts to make their voices appear on camera, urging online live broadcasting platforms to establish and implement mechanisms for the protection of minors, and strictly performing the system of classified reporting for review and filing.
However, what shocked the industry the most was the first two provisions of the Notice, which strictly prohibited online audio-visual platforms from disseminating illegal games and strengthened the management of the broadcast of game live broadcast content.
The provisions require that all kinds of online audio-visual programs such as online film and television dramas, online variety shows, online live broadcasts, and short videos must not broadcast online games without the approval of the competent departments, and must not drain illegal game content of various platforms through live broadcast rooms and other forms. As soon as the aforementioned provisions came out, it immediately triggered a heated discussion on the Internet.
In fact, this "ban" is not the first time, but it is more perfect and meticulous.
As early as 2016, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued the Provisions on the Administration of Internet Live Streaming Services.
At that time, live broadcasting platforms such as Station B, Huya and Douyu successively released the list of "banned games".
Among them, Station B continues to supplement the list of "banned games" in the way of "annual change", so far the number has exceeded 60, and the vast majority of them are foreign console games, "GTA", "Like Dragon", "Dark Souls", "Resident Evil", "Tomb Raider", "Killer 6" and other games are on the list.
After the introduction of the new regulations, what kind of impact will it have on the game live broadcasting industry?
In this regard, Chen Yifan, a reporter from Chengdu Business Daily and Red Star News, and Chen Yibo, a reporter from China Business Daily, had an exchange with Shule respectively, and poor Dao thought:
Like stand-alone games that have not been licensed to be introduced abroad, or mobile games that have not been introduced are games without version numbers.
In addition, products that get the game version number but are removed from the shelves due to violations are also illegal games.
The above games are all banned.
However, in essence, it has little impact on the field of live game broadcasting, because there are not many live broadcasts of such games.
Domestic game live users are mainly concentrated in those games that have been versioned, such as glory of kings, league of legends, etc., so the impact is actually not large.
Foreign games such as "Eldon's Ring of Law" and "Monster Hunter" are not very mainstream (game live content). Itself belongs to the extremely small and the extremely small.
At the same time, the relevant data also proves this.
According to the monitoring data of Xiaohulu big data platform, the terminal games and mobile games with the highest comprehensive data of game live broadcast content in 2020 are mainly classic e-sports games such as "League of Legends", "PUBG", "Crossfire", "Glory of the King" and "Peace Elite", of which "League of Legends" and "Glory of Kings" occupy the first place in pc and mobile game live broadcast data respectively, with 2.251 million and 2.557 million daily active users.
At the same time, the circular requires the Press and Publication Bureaus of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Hubei Province (City) and the Radio and Television Bureau to manage and guide key online audio-visual platforms and related game enterprises within their respective jurisdictions to manage and guide game live broadcast content and game anchor codes of conduct.
The reason why only the above cities and regions are required may be because game live broadcasting and other influential live broadcasting platforms are mainly concentrated in these regions.
According to the information of Tianyancha, under the classification of culture, sports and entertainment industries, there are currently 5 game live broadcasting related enterprises in Beijing; 33 in Shanghai; 46 in Hubei Province; and 340 in Guangdong Province.
What is the main significance of such a provision? Foolishly thought:
The promulgation of the "Notice" on the one hand is conducive to regulating the behavior of game anchors, thereby preventing the dissemination of some "three customs" content, but it is more likely to be out of strict enforcement of copyright regulations.
On the other hand, it is to strengthen copyright norms in the game industry. "The version number itself means intellectual property rights", and the game version number helps to protect the property rights of the game.
If the live broadcast content is not authorized by the game copyright owner, legal disputes are likely to arise.
At the same time, this may also have an extended impact on the game live broadcasting industry.
Because domestic games, especially e-sports games, are mainly concentrated on several game giants with version numbers, such as Tencent and NetEase.
Then for these games, if others live broadcast or cut the game screen into a short video and upload it to the network, then the game copyright party can sue them for infringement, because to broadcast e-sports game games or play game screens, it is theoretically necessary to obtain the authorization of the event party or the game party.
This will bring game streamers to gather on the live broadcasting platform under the pressure of "copyright".
Taking the copyright issue of the secondary creation of film and television dramas as an example, many film and television dramas hold short video competitions on short video platforms in order to publicize the release, authorizing all users to participate in editing and re-creation, if the game live broadcast field also follows the above practices, then the game live broadcasting industry may face a reshuffle, such as the live broadcast of Tencent game anchors will be concentrated in tencent live broadcast platform. The anchors of other games may choose another live broadcast platform in groups, eventually forming a dominant situation.
As for the douyin, Kuaishou and B stations that are attacking the game live broadcast and short video business, they will face the moat of Tencent's live broadcast platforms such as Douyu and Huya, and sigh.
Zhang Shule is a columnist for People's Daily and People's Post and Telegraph, and an analyst in the Internet and game industry