Türkiye is Entering a New Era in the Digital World: The Gaming Law Was Passed by the Parliament and Became Law

After intense discussions at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the gaming law, which closely concerns the digital gaming world and player rights, became official with the approval of the parliament. Turkish Game Developers Association (TOGED) announced to the public that, as a result of months-long discussions and the determined struggle of industry stakeholders, the first legal regulation for the consumption of games has become law.

This development is described as a historical turning point for the player population exceeding 40 million and the rapidly growing game development ecosystem in Turkey. Joint Struggle of Industry and Players From the first day the draft law was brought to the agenda, both industry representatives and players who made their voices heard on social media showed a unique example of solidarity. In the statement made by TOGED, the resilient stance shown by the players at every stage of the process was underlined, and it was stated that this unity was the strongest answer against prejudices against the game world.

Although industry components have argued for years that an area with high self-regulation does not need strict game law regulations, it is stated that this law creates an inevitable ground against disinformation and unfair attacks on games. Gains and Future Responsibilities When the first version of the bill was made public, it contained many restrictive articles, from the complete closure of game platforms to heavy data sharing obligations on developers.

However, the lobbying activities carried out under the leadership of TOGED, academic reports and the voice raised by millions of players on social media with the hashtag “DON’T TOUCH MY GAME” found a response in the parliamentary rostrum. In the statement made by the association, it was emphasized that great gains were achieved with the support of the players at every moment of this process, which lasted for months. Contrary to those who say “This law will end the games”, a text has been produced that the industry can adapt to and will not hinder its healthy development.

Critical Articles Removed and Changed from the Draft Many radical articles that threatened the freedom of the game world were completely cleared from the text during the commission and general assembly discussions. These changes are vital for Turkey to maintain its competitiveness in the global gaming market: Platform Closure Authority Has Been Canceled: The most discussed article 24 of the draft, BTK’s authority to completely shut down gaming platforms, has been removed from the text.

Bandwidth Restriction Reduced: In the first draft, rates such as � made the platform unusable; It was revised to 0 in the 4th month and to a maximum of P in the 6th month. Developer Obligations Eased: Age verification obligation has been taken from developers and transferred to platforms. Additionally, the obligation for studios to submit comprehensive data to the government has been abolished. Time Limits and Bans: The obligation to limit game time at the software level has been canceled.

Instead of banning unclassified games, it was agreed that these games would automatically be counted in the “18” category. Scientific Facts and Violence Discussion Recently, the increasingly harsh criticism of the games in the main news bulletins and parliamentary platforms has become one of the most critical topics of the legal process. It is aimed to respond with scientific data to the unfounded claims that violent games have a direct connection with violence in real life.

In this context, the good news was given that the most comprehensive academic studies carried out in Turkey would be initiated. These studies aim to break the perception of games as “harmful entertainment” in society and to deliver scientific facts to all segments of society. Economic Progress: Special Consumption Tax and Devkit Imports The gaming law process has come to the fore not only with restrictions but also with economic improvements that will pave the way for the sector.

It was announced that significant progress has been made in solving the import of devkit (development kit), one of the biggest technical obstacles of game developers, and the high Special Consumption Tax rates on game consoles, which is one of the biggest complaints of the players. The representatives, who kept watch in the parliament until the first light of the morning, managed to protect the existing rights by preventing the bill from being withdrawn and presented with more severe articles.

In the next period, we will act with the awareness that games are more than just a means of entertainment, they are an integral part of culture. The loud voice of 40 million players in Turkey will continue to be the biggest monitoring mechanism in the implementation process of this law. Source: TOGED