Effective from July 1, the Chinese government will approve all mobile gaming apps before they are released.

The set of regulations have been introduced in an effort to crack down on the circulation of media in the country.

The rule, which was announced last month, requires mobile game developers to submit the games to China's State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) no less than 20 days before their date of release.

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The game will first have to be submitted with a provincial government authority, after which it will be cleared for publication and forwarded to a national government authority, who will then make sure that the game is in line with the government values and requirements.

The approval of the game will be contingent on the game's "storyline, content, character features," among other things. Even mobile games that have already been launched must meet the new government requirements and seek approval in order to stay online.

Once the approval has been obtained, the game should be released within 20 days of the previously mentioned launch date and additional information such as which platform the game will be released on have to be submitted to the government.

Online publishers are also required to include details of copyright owners, publishers, approval number, and the publication serial number.  

Even though all games will be impacted by the new regulations, industry experts believe games with plots revolving around Chinese military, politics or religious subjects face the highest risk of being censored.

Tagschina, mobile games, apps, mobile gaming apps, games, State Administration of Press Publication Radio Film and Television