Boris Anosov

Mobile Gaming Market Showdown! Tencent Takes the Lead, MiHoYo and Paper games Close Behind 📱🎮 The competition in the global mobile gaming market is heating up, and Tencent continues to dominate! According to Appmagic's September 2024 report, Tencent placed four of its games in the top 10 for global mobile game revenue. Meanwhile, MiHoYo and Paper games are quickly catching up with impressive growth. 📊 Here are some highlights: 🔝 Tencent's "Honor of Kings" retained its crown, raking in $140M in in-app purchases from the Apple App Store and Google Play. However, this is slightly down by $20M compared to August. Other Tencent hits like PUBG Mobile, Candy Crush, and Dungeon & Fighter: Origins also performed well, with the latter experiencing a notable drop in revenue, from $120M in August to $74.9M in September. Despite this, Tencent still holds a […]

Unity's Expansion in China: Key Insights from Unity China CEO Zhang Junbo 🇨🇳Recently, Unity China CEO Zhang Junbo shared exciting news about Unity's growing presence in the world’s largest gaming market. While many major Chinese gaming companies are facing challenges, including layoffs, Unity is thriving. In just two years since launching its joint venture in Shanghai, Unity China has doubled its team, from 200 to over 400 employees.Zhang explained that China is a crucial market for Unity. Chinese mobile games like Honor of Kings and Genshin Impact dominate the global stage, with half of the top 10 mobile games worldwide coming from China. To support this booming market, Unity has introduced Tuanjie Engine, a localized version of its engine tailored for Chinese developers. It’s optimized for platforms like HarmonyOS and WeChat Mini Games, which are quickly growing in popularity. In […]

🎮 Which Game Model Wins: Premium Purchase or Microtransactions? (A Focus on Chinese Games 🇨🇳) The debate on the future of game monetization, especially in the Chinese gaming market, revolves around two contrasting views, shaped by the latest trends. On one hand, premium purchase (buy-to-play) games offer a more straightforward and complete gaming experience, while on the other hand, microtransaction-based games (often free-to-play) dominate the landscape with ongoing content updates and monetization strategies. Key Differences: 🛒 Premium (Buy-to-Play): - Once paid, you get full access to the game without worrying about additional in-game purchases. - These games often attract players who value a complete, uninterrupted experience. The cost may be higher initially, but lower marketing expenses and a longer shelf life make it a sustainable model. - Additionally, premium games are less prone to issues like overspending, which can be […]

The Impact of Online Game Shutdowns on Players: A Growing Trend in 2024 🎮 In early September, Pokémon Quest, licensed by NetEase, announced its shutdown set for February 2025. This is just one of over 30 online games that have ceased operations this year alone, including titles from major companies like Tencent, NetEase, and Bilibili. Public data shows that nearly 80 games disappeared from the market in the past year, signaling a troubling trend in the industry. As the gaming market rapidly expands, developers race to release new titles, trying to capture players’ attention. However, creating and maintaining a successful game in today’s crowded market is not easy. Corporations often discontinue games for several reasons: ⭕ Underperformance: Games that fail to meet revenue or engagement expectations often face shutdown. If players lose interest or the game can’t generate enough revenue […]

📉 China's Mobile Gaming Market Shows Slight Decline Over Summer: What's Next? 📈 According to Huatai Securities, a leading financial services group in China known for its deep industry insights and research, the mobile gaming market experienced a slight year-over-year decline in July and August 2024, with a 4.3% and 1.6% drop respectively. This dip is primarily due to the high comparison base from the previous year, when the market saw significant growth (51.1% and 63.7% in July and August 2023). Last week, Huatai Securities released a report that analyzed these trends and highlighted key insights across major gaming companies. 📊 Key Insights by Company: Shenzhou Taiyue: Steady performance with old games, expecting two new titles to launch in Q4. Kaixin and Giant Networks: Fewer new releases in Q3, but the key title Tomb Raiding is in paid testing and […]

Did You Know? 🌟There’s been a lot of talk about gaming regulations in China, and I thought this might be an interesting topic to share with you. China has some of the strictest rules in the world when it comes to limiting the time kids spend on video games. Since 2019, children under 18 can only play for 90 minutes a day, with a bit more freedom during holidays – 3 hours max. And it's not just about the time – gaming hours are limited to between 8 AM and 10 PM to prevent overnight gaming marathons. 🚫🕹️What’s even more fascinating is how China controls in-game spending. Players aged 8-16 can only spend up to 200 yuan (about $28) a month on microtransactions, while those between 16-18 have a slightly higher limit of 400 yuan ($57). This is all aimed […]

🚨 Will China’s Crypto Crackdown Impact the Gaming Industry? China has long maintained a strict stance on cryptocurrency. In fact, since 2021, crypto trading and mining have been officially banned, as the government sought to curb financial risks and tighten control over capital flows. But now, China’s latest move goes even further, targeting virtual assets like in-game coins and crypto-tips on live-streaming platforms.Last month, new guidelines were introduced that classify such transactions as money laundering activities. This brings major uncertainty for the country’s massive gaming industry, which generated a staggering $42.7 billion in revenue in 2023. 🎮📈With over 670 million gamers — nearly half of China’s population — China’s gaming sector has flourished thanks to its huge market, mobile-first focus, and leading game developers. Popular games like Honour of Kings and Genshin Impact draw millions of players, contributing billions in […]

A New Female-Oriented Hit from Alibaba: The Release of “Ru Yuan” 🎮 On September 26th, Alibaba's subsidiary Lingxi Interactive released the much-anticipated mobile game Ru Yuan (如鸢) in China. This female-oriented game had already made waves earlier in June when it received its gaming license and surpassed 15 million pre-registrations before its official release. What makes Ru Yuan stand out is its collaboration with cultural institutions like Yangzhou's tourism department, extending over a full year.Not only does Ru Yuan showcase captivating storylines and stunning live 2D animations, but it also provides a unique experience for female players, focusing on personal growth and power dynamics. Unlike typical games in this genre, Ru Yuan emphasizes not just romance but also the protagonist's ambition and quest for control, making it a standout in the female-oriented gaming sector. In less than a day after […]