Some Tencent and NetEase Games Finally Get Chinese Approval
Chinese game developers Tencent Holdings and NetEase were given permission on Thursday by Beijing to sell some of their online games after months of waiting, though they are yet to make a ruling on blockbuster PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
Tencent’s two mobile games are among the 95 titles to be approved by Chinese regulators, according to a document published Thursday by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
The approved Tencent games are Wood Joints and Folding Fan, both educational games that teach traditional Chinese architecture and craftsmanship.
The Chinese watchdog also waved through NetEase’s "War Spring and Autumn," a fantasy role-playing game based on Chinese history.
Chinese authorities began licensing new games again in December after a freeze from March, due to restructuring at the organization. Thursday's approvals were the fourth batch but the first for Tencent and NetEase titles.
Analysts are waiting for signs of whether Tencent will eventually win approval for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a hugely popular game which it is currently unable to make money from by, for example, charging for in-game purchases.
China is home to the world’s largest video game market, where 620 million players spent $34.4 billion last year mostly on mobile and PC games, according to data from Newzoo.