A father in central China has filed a lawsuit against four of the country's biggest gaming companies after becoming concerned about his teenage son's excessive gaming habits and their impact on his health and daily life. Instead of asking for a large financial payout, he is seeking symbolic compensation of just $1.50. His main objective is to encourage gaming companies to strengthen protections that help prevent minors from developing unhealthy gaming habits. The father, identified only by his surname Qin, filed the case against Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive Entertainment in a court in Henan province. He believes the companies should do more to ensure that young players cannot bypass age restrictions designed to limit gaming time. According to Qin, his son, a vocational school student, had spent several years playing online games for long hours. On weekends, he would often remain in bed gaming until three or four o'clock in the morning. The father said this routine affected his son's health, causing weight loss, poor sleep, and an unhealthy lifestyle. A serious health incident involving his son later made Qin realize how severe the problem had become and motivated him to take legal action. Gaming records reportedly showed that the teenager had logged more than 1,868 hours of gameplay since March 2024, averaging over two hours every day. Qin explained that he had originally bought his son a mobile phone so they could stay in contact while he worked in another city, but the device eventually became the primary way his son accessed online games. The father also claimed that his son avoided China's gaming restrictions for minors by registering gaming accounts with an adult family member's identity card. China's current rules limit underage players to one hour of online gaming between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Fridays, weekends, and public holidays. Qin argues that gaming companies already have technologies such as facial recognition and identity verification, and they should use them more effectively to prevent minors from bypassing these rules. The lawsuit has received widespread attention across China, with many people supporting stronger protections for young gamers. While some believe parents also play an important role in managing children's screen time, others agree that gaming companies should take greater responsibility for enforcing age restrictions. Qin hopes the case encourages companies to improve their safety systems and inspires broader efforts to promote healthier gaming habits among children and teenagers. Beloud