China has become a hotbed for gaming and gamers alike, hosting companies like Tencent and Netease. The Chinese government has shown a disdain for gaming in recent years, however, and it has even limited playtime and refused to issue new game licenses.
After nearly a year, though, China issued its first gaming licenses. According to Bloomberg, the National Press and Publication Administration put out a notice of 45 new game titles on its website. Surprisingly, Tencent games were not listed among the titles. Instead, some of the listed companies include Baidu, XD, and iDreamSky.
Bloomberg reported that China has dealt with game investors’ worst fears in recent years. The Chinese government’s hesitancy to support a gaming culture understandably had some investors less than optimistic about the market’s future in China. By greenlighting some games, though, China appears to be showing investors it doesn’t want to get rid of that income completely.
There have been multiple restrictions on gaming in China in the last year. For example, the Chinese government set new restrictions on gaming, only allowing a certain amount of play per day. After alleged complaints from parents, gaming is banned on school nights altogether. The government is also attempting to more tightly regulate livestreaming in the country.
For a gaming industry to thrive, it will need to have players. So while it’s good that fans will see some new games coming from China, the people who live there won’t get to experience the same fun.
