China's Games Market: Facts & Stats

Art By: Giulia Sfogliarini 

Here are some traits of the Chinese gaming market:

• One of the biggest game industries in the world (revenue $45.5 billion in 2022);
• Has a large number of gamers (664 million in 2022), and that figure is expected to increase to 730 million by 2027 (growth is about 10%);
• Mobile and PC games are the most popular categories of games; they bring the highest share of revenue worldwide (47% and 39% respectively);
• The F2P monetization method prevails among Chinese game developers. Players are also used to this model because of previous restrictions and the economic situation;
• The premium monetization model isn't widespread but gaining popularity.
  
  

How Is It Played in China?

China’s game market revenue — which covers mobile, PC, and console games — increased to $45.5 billion in 2022. This figure is predicted to grow by 25% ($57 billion) by 2027. 

Despite the fact that the Chinese population is decreasing, the number of players is rising. From 2012 to 2021, this figure increased by 62.5%. But in 2022, there was a slight reduction of 1% compared to the previous year, which can be connected with game restrictions for minors (minors can only play games for one hour from 8 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, weekends, and public holidays). However, experts’ forecast is optimistic: the number of players is expected to increase to 730 million by 2027. 

Right now, 46% of the population play video games, including 300 million women. The average age of Chinese gamers is 35, and ARPU (average revenue per user) is $64. 

The most popular game genres among Chinese players:

Google Play is unavailable in China, while the App Store is controlled by the government, which can delete apps. However, 24% of mobile games from Chinese publishers are available on both iOS and Android. 

Google Play has more than 2,015 Chinese mobile game publishers (1% of all publishers). Chinese publishers have released more than 8,537 mobile games, with an average rating of 3.79 (out of 5). On average, these mobile games have 1.25 million downloads, which is 2 times more than the average global indicator. Despite this fact, none of the Chinese games are in the top 15 games on Google Play. 

There are several monetization models used by Chinese mobile developers:

As for the European gaming industry, there are 4,600 game development studios that brought a revenue of $30 billion in 2022. The UK, Germany, and France generate the most revenue. 

Here are all the topics covered in the full version of China's Video Game Market: Facts & Stats PDF Report:

• Where to Buy Games: The world of alternative marketplaces
• Free Games With Huge Earnings
• Difficulties for Chinese Developers: Peculiarities of State Regulation
• The Chinese Investment Market Is Becoming Less Saturated
• Cloud Gaming and 5G Thrive