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Mobile Games in China: Ongoing Industry Transformations, Emerging Game Genres, and Evolving Player Dynamics

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Mobile Gaming in Asia

Abstract

This chapter offers an in-depth, up-to-date, and panoramic analysis of the mobile game landscape in China, with a particular emphasis on the interplay of the tripartite components of the industry, game content and players. Set against the backdrop of decades of state policy of vigorously incubating a national pillar industry while maintaining tight control of game content and market entry, it contemplates how monetization of mobile games has turned into a core focus of wireless service providers through the consolidation of a unique business model incorporating a variety of well-coordinated distributing platforms, marketing venues, app stores and value-added services targeting tiers of gamers and gameplays. It also scrutinizes the stages of evolution of the Chinese mobile game industry from scratch to prosperity in a short span of less than two decades, and analyzes the variegated dynamics of the game players as well as the game titles that pervade the market. It ends with some future prospects and emerging trends in the mobile game industry in China.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Project 863 is formally called “China’s National High-Tech R&D Program”. It is more often called Project 863 because it was approved by the State Council in March 1986, under the direct endorsement by the late Deng Xiaoping.

  2. 2.

    Jin Fan, “Chinese Online Games, Made in China.” China Intellectual Property News, 14 November, 2003. Available http://www.cpo.cn.net/zscqb/it/t20031114_21331.htm

  3. 3.

    Joint Directive by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information Industry on Online Game Development and Administration, issued on 12 July, 2005. Available http://www.nciic.com.cn/framework/gongzuo/mggfiaabhfikbbnnldnjnnnkpcfpcodb.jsp

  4. 4.

    State Council Circular in Endorsing the Implementation of Directives by the Ministry of Finance et al. on the Promotion of the Online Game Industry. Available http://www.gapp.gov.cn/caiwusi/oldcaiwusi/contents/2981/137488.shtml

  5. 5.

    “Measures to Support Enterprises in the Video Game and Animation Business in Shanghai.” 10 September, 2010. http://cnci.sznews.com/content/2010-09/10/content_10494418.htm

  6. 6.

    “Measures by the Hangzhou Municipal Government to Support Animation and Video Game Industrial Development,” issued on 14 October, 2005, available http://www.chinacinema.com.cn/policy-16.html. Another directive is “Hangzhou’s Strategic Plan for the Development of the Animation and Video Game Industry,” publicized on 7 December, 2005, available http://www.chinacinema.com.cn/policy-15.html

  7. 7.

    A special coverage site focusing on the campaign can be found here: http://sh.qihoo.com/zt/jw2014.html

  8. 8.

    Temporary Provision on the Administration of Network Games, promulgated by the Ministry of Culture on 1 August, 2010. Available http://www.gov.cn/flfg/2010-06/22/content_1633935.htm

  9. 9.

    SAPPRFT Response to the State Council Mandate on Rectification and Improvement, released on 14 November, 2104. Available http://www.gapp.gov.cn/news/1663/232219.shtml

  10. 10.

    Our classification is based on combined analysis of market share and game releases from available reports in the past 3 years (ie, 2013–2015). Among them, China Mobile Game Annual Report (2013-2014) by iiMedia, available http://www.tuicool.com/articles/7bIJfm; China Mobile Game Enterprise Report (2014) by iResearch, available http://www.iresearch.com.cn/report/2264.html; China Mobile Game Sector Report (2015), available http://www.iresearch.com.cn/report/2387.html; China Mobile Game Sector Report (2016) by iResearch, available http://www.iresearch.com.cn/report/2606.html.

  11. 11.

    See the PocketGamer site at http://www.pocketgamer.biz/list/60889/pocketgamerbiz-top-50-developers-2015/

  12. 12.

    http://www.pocketgamer.biz/list/5206/top-50-developer-2014/

  13. 13.

    http://www.pocketgamer.biz/list/5210/pgbiz-top-50-developer-2013/

  14. 14.

    A useful overview can be found in an article by Wu Ji from Renmin Wang (People’s Net) titled “As the Mobile Game Market Matures, Webzines Can Help It Move Forward,” published on 22 August, 2014. Available http://game.people.com.cn/n/2014/0822/c163384-25521081.html

  15. 15.

    For similar analysis, see “Domestic Mobile Games Are an Important Force for the Three Mobile Carriers,” 27 June, 2014, available http://www.shouyoutv.com/chanye/66037.html. Also “Lucrative Mobile Game Companies Show Carriers How to Make Money,” 1 April, 2014, available http://www.chinaz.com/start/2014/0401/345858.shtml

  16. 16.

    “2014 China Gaming Industry Overseas Market Report” jointly released on 29 April, 2015 by China Game Publishing Committee, China Network Game Research Center, and International Data Center. Available http://www.gamelook.com.cn/2015/04/213211

  17. 17.

    “Top App Trends of 2014,” available http://go.appannie.com/app-annie-index-retrospective-2014/

  18. 18.

    Tim Chen, “China has finally lifted its 14-year ban on video games,” South China Morning Post, 27 July, 2015. Available http://www.businessinsider.com/china-lifts-14-year-ban-on-gaming-consoles-2015-7

  19. 19.

    CNNIC, “The 36th China Internet Development Report,” released in July 2015. Available http://www.cnnic.com.cn/hlwfzyj/hlwxzbg/hlwtjbg/201507/P020150723549500667087.pdf

  20. 20.

    CNNIC, “2014 Survey Report on Internet Behaviors of Chinese Adolescents,” released in February 2015. Available http://www.cnnic.net.cn/hlwfzyj/hlwxzbg/qsnbg/201506/P020150603434893070975.pdf

  21. 21.

    iResearch, “2015 China Mobile Game Sector Report,” released on 6 June, 2015. Available http://report.iresearch.cn/2387.html. “2014 China Smart Mobile Game Player Behavior Report,” published on 23 July, 2014. Available http://report.iresearch.cn/2223.html

  22. 22.

    “2015 China Mobile Game Sector Report,” see the previous note.

  23. 23.

    See Note 22.

  24. 24.

    The Global Mobile Game Confederation (GMGC), “2015 Global Mobile Games Industry White Book,” released in April 2015. Available http://www.newzoo.com/product/2015-global-games-market-report/

  25. 25.

    Shara Tibken, “China passes US to become Apple’s biggest iPhone market,” CNET, 27 April, 2015. Available http://www.cnet.com/news/china-passes-us-to-become-apples-biggest-iphone-market/

  26. 26.

    TalkingData, “2014 Chinese Mobile Game Development Report,” released in January 2015. Available http://chanye.07073.com/guonei/1000428.html

  27. 27.

    iResearch, “2015 China Mobile Game Sector Report.”

  28. 28.

    “Disney Showcases Biggest Gaming Content Line Up at China Joy,” PR Newswire, 1 August, 2015. Available http://en.prnasia.com/story/127797-0.shtml

  29. 29.

    iResearch, “2015 China Mobile Game Sector Report.”

  30. 30.

    NetEase, “4G Cell Phone User Statistics Revealed,” 21 April, 2015. Available http://mobile.163.com/15/0421/10/ANNFPONC0011179O.html

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Journalism and Media, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Zixue Tai

  2. School of Journalism, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Fengbin Hu

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  1. Zixue Tai
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  2. Fengbin Hu
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Correspondence to Zixue Tai .

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  1. School of Communication, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Dal Yong Jin

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Tai, Z., Hu, F. (2017). Mobile Games in China: Ongoing Industry Transformations, Emerging Game Genres, and Evolving Player Dynamics. In: Jin, D. (eds) Mobile Gaming in Asia. Mobile Communication in Asia: Local Insights, Global Implications. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0826-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0826-3_10

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