Gaming in China remains incredibly popular despite the nation’s attempts to curtail the multibillion dollar industry. China’s crackdown against video games continues as the Communist Party attacks a new foe: myopia. The government cites an increase in near-sightedness as reasoning behind upcoming restrictions to gaming. 

On Thursday, the Education ministry stated that new gaming laws could help counter near-sightedness among minors. Reports out of China indicate that over half a billion citizens over the age of 5—around a third of that population bracket—suffer from near-sightedness. To combat the growing problem, China aims to restrict the number of games entering the country and limit playing time for children.

None of this, however, accounts for the absurd lack of respect shown to China’s game industry. The government’s two licensing branches haven’t approved a single new gaming license in over four months. When Monster Hunter: World debuted last month, the government quickly forced tech giant Tencent to shut it down. Consequently, Tencent’s market value has dropped over $160 billion over the past six months. The damage continues to mount as major publishers can’t launch titles and players are left with stale content. That doesn’t even include the pain such maneuvers are inflicting on Chinese indie devs, nor the nation’s vile gaming rehab facilities.

Overexposure to screens, which can certainly create vision issues, ranks as the government’s top stated reasoning for the new restrictions. National studies have indicated that excessive studying for the dreaded college entrance exam also plays a part. The brutally long school days and the nine-hour test, however, do not appear to be on their way out. (To combine the two scapegoats, be sure to check out the visual novel Gaokao Love 100 Days!) The study also ignores the fact that near-sightedness can often be tied to genetics; it’s just those damn games causing eye problems!

For a nation finally realizing its position in the gaming world as both producers and consumers, this is a devastating blow. Most of these issues stem back to Xi Jinping, China’s president for life. He called for more attention to eye issues. Less than a week later, the Education Ministry posted their new restrictions. Xi has also embarked on what sources call a “purification campaign” in order to rid China’s media of anything PG-13 or worse. Those aren’t the sort of words you like to hear from unimpeachable dictators, no matter what they’re talking about. China’s campaign against gaming is far more complicated than a departmental reshuffling. It’s also clear that China’s month-long freeze on game licensing won’t thaw in the foreseeable future.

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Thanks, Telegraph.