The digital gaming world, which holds a critical place in Turkey’s technology and export vision, has achieved a great victory in the legal regulation it has been waiting for for weeks; Within the scope of the new game law, many articles that threaten the future of the industry were revised and passed through the commission as a result of the intense diplomacy of the Turkish Game Developers Association (TOGED). The regulation adopted today by the Turkish Grand National Assembly Health, Family, Labor and Social Affairs Committee has been purified from the initial restrictive draft text and placed on a sustainable framework that is compatible with international standards.
Shutdown Clause Removed, Bandwidth Restrictions Softened. Article 24, which caused concern in the industry about “the platforms being darkened overnight” and gave unlimited discretion to the Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK), was completely removed from the text of the law as a result of TOGED’s objections. This was recorded as the most important achievement of the process in terms of legal security of gaming platforms.
On the other hand, a step back was taken in the bandwidth restriction rates, which were initially planned to be applied in cases such as failure to appoint a representative, and which initially reached up to 50%. According to the new regulation, restriction rates can be applied as 0 in the fourth month of the process and as maximum P in the sixth month. These rates were determined as absolute upper limits that would prevent game services from stopping completely.
The Disproportionate Burden on Developers Has Been Removed With the technical regulations made in the law, the definitions of “developer”, “publisher” and “platform” have been clearly differentiated from each other. One of the biggest gains was that the responsibility for age verification was taken away from small game studios (developers) and reduced only to the platform level. In addition, technically impossible clauses such as onerous information sharing obligations for studios and the obligation to restrict game time at the software level were also removed from the draft.
Accessibility was Protected with the 18 Decision. Instead of completely removing unclassified games from the platforms, it was decided that these games would automatically be evaluated in the “18” category. This move stood out as a balanced solution that preserves the accessibility of games and prevents children from encountering inappropriate content. In the game law process, which was carried out under the leadership of TOGED President Ali Erkin and in which giants such as Google, Meta and Roblox also participated, 9 of the 11 basic demands were fully met.
Decisions were taken in favor of the sector in all critical areas, except for the civil liability clause regarding the appointment of local representatives. The law, which is expected to come to the Parliamentary General Assembly next week, is aimed to make the Turkish gaming ecosystem more predictable in the international arena. You can find the details on the TOGED website.
Comments
You can write your views about this story. Comments may be moderated according to site settings.