Video gaming in China

Games market of China by revenue per platform in 2015.[1]

Video games in China is a massive industry and pastime that includes the production, sale, import/export, and playing of video games. The landscape of the topic is strongly shaped by China's average income level, rampant software piracy, and governmental measures to control game content and playing times. In 2011, China's PC game sector was worth $6 billion, the largest in the world.[2] Arcade games are also a thriving industry in China. Console games were banned from the country in the early 2000, but the ban was lifted in July 2015.[3]

The Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau have unique legal and cultural environments, thus the information below does not apply in these two regions.

Domestically-produced games

China has domestically produced a number of games, including the Genesis of the Century trilogy (The World of Legend, The Age, and Magical Land), Westward Journey, The Incorruptible Warrior, and Crazy Mouse. There are a large number of domestically-made massively multiplayer online role-playing game MMORPGs in China, although many generally remain unheard of outside of the country.[4]

Internet cafes

Although China's growing economy has boosted the economic prospects of most Chinese in the last couple of decades, the cost of a personal computer, video game console, or Internet connection remains prohibitive for many Chinese. The popularity of internet cafes has increased in the country as a result. Rather than purchasing their own hardware and software, users are simply charged a small fee (often by the hour) to use an Internet cafe computer which often comes preloaded with a selection of games. Chinese internet cafes often impose age limits to protect minors from what may be adult content.

Social network games

The Chinese game Happy Farm (2008) was included in Wired's list of "The 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade" at #14, for its major influence on social network games, particularly for having "inspired a dozen Facebook clones," the largest being Zynga's FarmVille.[5] A number of other games have since used similar game mechanics, such as Sunshine Farm, Happy Farmer, Happy Fishpond, Happy Pig Farm,[6][7] Farm Town, Country Story, Barn Buddy, Sunshine Ranch, and Happy Harvest, as well as parodies such as Jungle Extreme and Farm Villain.[8][9]

Arcades

Arcade games are still a thriving industry in China, where amusement arcades are widespread across the country. Its popularity in China is comparable to that of PC gaming at internet cafes. This is partly due to the country's ban on console games since the early 2000s, it has since been lifted. As a result, Chinese gamers frequently visit the arcades to play action games, particularly fighting games, and occasionally unlicensed arcade ports of popular PC or mobile games such as Angry Birds or Plants vs. Zombies. The arcades and internet cafes operate in a similar manner in China.[10]

Censorship

As with almost all mass media in the country, video games in China are subject to the policies of censorship in China.

Changes to Video Game Ban in China

On July 2015, the ban on video game consoles within the country was lifted. According to a statement from the country's Ministry of Culture, companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft — among others — will now be allowed to manufacture and sell video game consoles anywhere in the country.

Game consoles were first banned in 2000 due to fears that the devices — and the 3D worlds produced by them — had a negative effect on the mental and physical development of children. Last year, China eased those restrictions by letting game console-makers operate in an experimental 11-square-mile area in Shanghai, known as the free trade zone.

The State General Administration of Press and Publication and anti-porn and illegal publication offices have also played a role in screening games.[11]

Examples of banned games have included:

In addition to banning games completely, several games have had their content screened to remove certain imagery deemed offensive or unfavorable. Common examples include skeletons or skulls being either fleshed out or removed entirely. Cases of which can be seen in Chinese versions of popular video games such as DOTA 2 and World of Warcraft.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "USA & China Battle for#1 Top Games Market". Games Sector Report 2015 (Casual Games Association). 2015-02-04.
  2. ↑ Usher, William (2012-03-11). "PC Game Sales Top $18.6 Billion In 2011". Gaming Blend. Cinema Blend. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  3. ↑ Yan, Sophia (July 27, 2015). "China eliminates all restrictions on gaming consoles". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  4. ↑ C. Custer, 24 January 2010, Chinese Video Games in America, ChinaGeeks
  5. ↑ Kohler, Chris (December 24, 2009). "14. Happy Farm (2008)". The 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade. Wired. p. 2. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "Chinaa€s growing addiction: online farming games |". Techgearx.com. 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2010-05-06. C1 control character in |title= at position 7 (help)
  7. ↑ Elliott Ng (2009-10-29). "China’s growing addiction: online farming games". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  8. ↑ Kohler, Chris (May 19, 2010). "Farm Wars: How Facebook Games Harvest Big Bucks". Wired. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "Facebook》到開心農場歡呼收割". China Times. 2009-09-01. Retrieved 12 September 2011. (Translation)
  10. ↑ Jou, Eric (March 19, 2012). "The Wonderful and Seedy World of Chinese Arcades". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  11. ↑ "50 illegal electronic games banned". Xinhua. 2006-01-26.
  12. 1 2 "Swedish video game banned for harming China's sovereignty". Xinhua. 2004-05-29.
  13. ↑ "Computer game cracked down on for discrediting China's image". Xinhua. 2004-03-19.
  14. ↑ "Battlefield 4 Now Banned in China". Tom's Hardware. 2013-12-27.
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