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China is now the biggest video games market in the world.
The Chinese industry had revenues estimated at more than $22.2bn (over 15.5bn) last year, according to data firm Newzoo, and outperformed the US for the first time.
With over 446m players – which represent a third of the total population of over 1.3bn – the Chinese market is getting stronger year after year. In 2014, the country generated revenues of more than $17.8bn – a number that increased by 16.1 per cent over the next 12 months.
MMO games played on PC are dominant in the country. This portion of the market is expected to reach revenues of over $14.1bn in 2016, predicts Newzoo. The most popular games are CrossFire and League of Legends, both released in the country by Tencent, the top publisher in China.
This domination has been helped by the ban on consoles that affected the country for 14 years, before it was lifted in 2014.
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launched in the country that year, but performed pretty poorly since then. Research company Niko Partners revealed that combined sales for both consoles only reached 550,000 units in 2015.
Meanwhile, mobile gaming is a huge hit in the country, with around 420m people playing on these platforms, according to Niko Partners. The company predicts that revenues from mobile gaming will reach $11.1bn in 2019. In 2015, mobile games made $5.5bn.
Population: 1,393,784,000
Capital City: Beijing
Currency: Yuan
GDP (Per Capita): $6,626.3
KEY RETAILERS
Taobao, Bai Nao Hui, Pacific Digital Plaza, JD.com, Play-Asia, GS Shop, Lotte Mart, E-Mart
TOP DEVELOPERS
Balanced Worlds, Enlight Software, Giant Interactive, Hoolai Games, Netdragon, Snail, Spicy Horse, Typhoon Games, Virtuos, Youzu Interactive, Celestial Digital Entertainment, CMUNE, Perfect World
PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION
Tencent, CDC Games, Hi-Rez, Ubisoft, Yodo1, Sony, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, EA, Ubisoft, Capcom, Snail Games, Chillingo, Netease, R2Games, Shanda
TOP DISTRIBUTORS
Gamewerks, IAH Games, Nexon, Hanbitsoft, Changyou, iQue, NetEase, The9, Shanghai Media Group, BesTV New Media, Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group
