Advertisement
Indonesia weighs curbing PUBG, other video games, after Jakarta blast injures nearly 100
Weapons-heavy battle royale games such as PUBG normalise violence, Prabowo’s government official says
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Indonesia is weighing restrictions on video games like PUBG following a school blast in Jakarta that injured nearly 100 people.
President Prabowo Subianto ordered his cabinet to look into such measures after receiving updates about the police investigation into the act, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday.
Developed by South Korea’s Krafton, PUBG: Battlegrounds is an online multiplayer shooting game that popularised the battle royale genre alongside games like Fortnite and Free Fire.
Advertisement
When asked for examples of games that may be subject to new curbs, Prasetyo named only the Korean title, whose PUBG Mobile, created in partnership with Tencent Holdings, is popular in Indonesia.
Dozens hospitalised after school explosion in Jakarta
Dozens hospitalised after school explosion in Jakarta
“We’re thinking about restrictions because, in these games, there are many different kinds of weapons. It’s easy to learn. And, psychologically, it makes violence a normal thing,” he said, without elaborating on the form of restrictions contemplated.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x