China remains a powerhouse in the global games industry. It is the largest games market globally with one-third of global PC and mobile games revenue generated domestically. At the same time, Chinese game companies are expanding their reach globally. Thus, it is important to deeply understand the Chinese gaming scene from companies & games-to-watch to regulations and games licenses.
These 2024 China Games Market Reports are presented in an all-new way. The report series now includes one Market Model report (May), one Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Report (June), and one Market Model Update Report (November).
Each report includes sections on PC, mobile and console segments. The Chinese Games Market Series provides a comprehensive guide and insightful analysis to those aiming to navigate and tap into the lucrative China gaming market.
Key takeaways from the China Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Report:
Emerging trends in PC and mobile gaming
- PC gaming is seeing the largest increase in individual spending this year. 62% of PC gamers said they spent more this year than they did last year, with 19% claiming they spent at least 30% more than they did last year.
- Steam maintained its position as the #1 PC game distribution platform in China, with gamers primarily accessing the international version of Steam without a VPN. 79.5% of PC gamers who play premium games use Steam.
- The Mini Game segment has emerged as a major growth area within mobile gaming with approx. 650 million gamers playing them. According to the survey, 2/3 of mobile gamers are playing mini games daily or several times a week.
The rise of short video content and platform
- 5% of respondents learn about new video games from short video content, making it the most popular method. This popularity is more pronounced among mobile gamers, while it ranks at #4 for console gamers.
- Over 4 in 10 gamers (43.9%) watch video game/esports livestreams with 68.6% using Douyin.
Other notable trends
- According to our survey, 78.3% of gamers are aware of AIGC technologies and 37.3% of gamers are interested in the technology being applied to games.
- It appears that youth gamer regulations, while effective in curbing game time for those under 18, may be having the opposite effect on gamers once they become adults. Gamers aged between 18-22, who were minors when youth gamer regulations were passed, play longer hours per week today than those that are 23+.
- Japan has extended its lead as the #1 country for import game approvals and the US regained its #2 position. South Korea's #3 is notable given that 0 games from Korea were approved 3 years ago.
This series includes 3 reports:
- Market Model Report - May 2024
- Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Report - June 2024
- Market Model Update Report - November 2024
Table of Contents
Companies Mentioned
- 37 Interactive
- Activision Blizzard
- Alibaba
- Apple
- Baidu
- Behaviour Interactive
- Bilibili
- Blizzard
- Bytedance
- CD Projekt Red
- Century Huatong
- Changyou
- Coconut Island
- Digital Extremes
- Douyin
- DouYu
- Electronic Arts
- Electronic Soul
- From Software
- FunPlus
- G-Bits
- Happy Elements
- Hazelight Studios
- Huawei
- Huya
- iDreamsky
- IGG
- Intiny
- Irisloft
- JJ World
- Kingnet
- Kingsoft
- Koei Tecmo
- Krafton
- Kuaishou
- Larian Studios
- Magic Desing Studio
- Microsoft
- miHoYo
- NetDragon
- NetEase
- Nintendo
- Nvidia
- OPPO
- Others
- Papergames
- Perfect World
- PocketPair
- Recreate Games
- Rockstar Games
- Samsung
- Seasun Games
- Sony
- TapTap
- Tencent
- Tuyoo
- Ubisoft
- Ultrapower
- Valve
- Veewo Games
- Vivo
- Wizard Games
- XD Network
- Xiaohongshu
- Xiaomi
- Yostar
