According to news services, China now has around 15,000 video game arcades, officially, but many are tiny with only a handful of games.
A report from the AFP news service says that around 5,000 of them are now reopening with the permission of the country’s ministry of culture and tourism, but at the same time, a BBC news report says that of the 2,000 arcades in Guangzhou, the province with many Chinese amusement products are made, all but 500 are to be closed.
They are considered by the city authorities to have an unduly bad influence on young people. Reports in local newspapers said that schools were concerned that pupils are spending time in the arcades rather than undertaking schoolwork. The official reason for the closure notices, therefore, is that the venues are in breach of the regulations that only over-18s could enter.
