A visitor plays a sports game at the Intelligent Industry Information Technology exhibition area of the fifth China International Import Expo at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai in east China's Shanghai on November 5, 2022. For the third consecutive year, China's homegrown games have raked in over 100 billion yuan in annual sales revenue from overseas markets, according to the 2022 China Gaming Industry Report released recently. PHOTO XINHUA GUANGZHOU For three consecutive years, China's homegrown games have raked in over 100 billion dollars in annual sales revenue from overseas markets, according to the 2022 China Gaming Industry Report released recently.
The report, released at the China Game Industry Annual Conference in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, shows that Chinese game developers have been actively expanding their business overseas.
Sales of Chinese games in the overseas market last year were down 3.7 percent compared to that of the domestic market due to the downturn of the global game market under the influence of COVID 19 and heated competition.
The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea are the main target markets for Chinese mobile games, and sales in other countries and regions are increasing year by year, indicating the continuous expansion of Chinese enterprises in emerging markets, according to Zhang Yijun, vice chairman of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association.
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The expansion of business in overseas markets is becoming a strategic trend for more companies, as the globalization of China's game industry is becoming more noticeable, he said.
Chinese internet giant Tencent is boosting its technology research and development, fostering content innovation, and building international intellectual property as a result of its efforts to expand its presence in the global gaming market.
Many of Tencent's games have gained popularity around the world, such as Arena of Valor, PUBG MOBILE and Alchemy Stars. The cumulative global downloads outside the Chinese mainland have exceeded 1 billion, with the release of PUBG MOBILE in over 200 countries and regions worldwide.
The game industry insiders believe that China's game industry is expanding its global reach through deep localization and refined operations. Chinese enterprises have been able to improve their marketing efficiency by cooperating with overseas distributors and developing integrated research and business models through the establishment or acquisition of overseas studios.
At the end of 2021, Tencent launched its overseas game business brand, Level Infinite, to strengthen the company's global operations and publishing capabilities. It provides technical assistance, market insights, global publishing, and other support for global partners.
The Middle East, Africa and Latin America have become new areas for growth in the overseas game market due to the relatively large populations and rapidly improving network infrastructure, according to the report.