Consumers advised to check rating of e-games, movies for children

Doha: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has urged consumers in Qatar to avoid purchasing e-games that are not a proper fit for children.

“Your duty is to select the suitable games for your children and make sure to review the rating system,” it said in a tweet. “Our duty is to make sure games are only sold according to the rating system,” it added. Statista, a portal that researches data and analytics, said users of online games in Qatar anticipate a rapid increase. This forecasts a huge revenue for the market.

With the rising number of buyers in the market, the revenue of e-games is expected to rise to $14.41m (QR52.47m) in 2023. The statistics reveal that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to reach its peak of 6.34 percent, projecting a market volume that estimates nearly $18.43m (QR67.10m) in the next four years. A survey shows that the e-games sector in Qatar is expected to rise by nearly 372,000 users by 2027.

However, Statista states that the user penetration will be 11.2 percent this year and it is targeted at 11.6 percent by 2027. The report also highlighted that most of the global revenue will be generated in China. Having provided the projected revenue, the data depicts that the average revenue per user in the e-games market is estimated to amount to $42.63 in 2023. 

The ministry also pointed out certain guidelines for age groups that can access movie theatres.

As numerous theatres are located across the country in various malls and other places, MoCI urged parents to ensure the rating system for their children according to their age.

Directing parents and movie-ticket purchasers, the ministry said in a tweet: “Your duty is to buy the movie tickets appropriate for your children and make sure to review the rating system beforehand. Our duty is to make sure movie tickets are sold according to the rating system.”

The Ministry said that the cinema admission guidelines have been issued to enable the right age groups to access relevant entertainment activities.

As of 2018, there were 51 cinema halls in Qatar according to a report by Statista. It said the increase in the number of visitors led to a diversity in the movies shown and an increase in the number of cinema halls from 2013.

Some of the major cinema operators in the country are Vox, Novo, and Flik.