CNA – China’s video games market returned to growth this year as domestic revenue rose 13 per cent to CNY303 billion (USD42.6 billion), putting Beijing’s eight-month crackdown two years ago in the rear-view mirror.
Industry association CGIGC said at a conference in Guangzhou yesterday that the industry’s domestic revenue this year reached over CNY300 billion for the first time. It also said the number of gamers in China grew 0.61 per cent to a record 668 million, which is more than North America’s entire population.
The return to growth is an important turnaround for the world’s biggest gaming market after China’s gaming revenue shrank for the first time last year following Beijing’s eight-month crackdown on the industry over gaming addiction concerns.
Games developed in China continued to grow as Beijing emphasised the need for self-sufficiency in technology. Annual revenue from homegrown games grew to CNY256 billion, up 15 per cent over the previous year.
Revenue from Chinese games in foreign markets, however, took a hit after countries like India increased scrutiny of them on national security grounds. China’s overseas games revenue fell 5.65 per cent to USD16.3 billion in 2023.
Anime-style games from China such as miHoYo’s Genshin Impact gained popularity and expanded revenue, while anime-style games on smartphones posted a 31 per cent growth to CNY31 billion this year as compared with last year.
The recovery of China’s gaming industry is reflected in Chinese gaming giant Tencent’s return to growth this year after posting its first-ever revenue decline last year.
NetEase also experienced a strong year as its shares rose more than 40 per cent this year with help from gaming hits like Egg Party.
