One of the most popular titles from the world’s biggest games publisher is testing the use of a facial recognition feature as part of its latest attempt to stem video game addiction in China. Tencent has said that it is trialing the ability to shut off its Honor of Kings game if the same user has been playing for too long, something it will determine via a facial scan.
The move is the latest attempt by Tencent to appease regulators who have criticized the company for the addictive nature of its titles. Previous efforts, including restricted hours for certain age groups and real name registration (the latter of which was introduced just last month), have been circumvented courtesy of the sale of limitless adult accounts online.
The facial scan feature may only be at the trial stage — the BBC reports it’ll be tested on “a few thousand” players selected randomly in Beijing and Shenzhen — but presumably we’re only weeks away from being able to order up an adult whose face you can scan via a delivery app or some sort of John Travolta/Nicolas Cage Face/Off-style service for those looking to prolong their gaming sessions.
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