If you are into gaming, you may have heard about the recent success of Black Myth: Wukong, China’s first AAA game wowing audiences and critics inside and outside the country. This release was especially exciting for someone who has worked as a producer for Chinese gaming companies since 2018.
Given the success of this game, more Western gaming companies are seeing potential in the burgeoning Chinese video game industry.
I expect gaming companies might enter the Chinese market in two ways:
- Some will partner with a Chinese publisher. This is likely the case for the biggest gaming companies. A Chinese publisher will help them with localization, regulatory approvals, and marketing.
- Others may reach Chinese users on Steam. This is a cheat code to get around the regulations; however, these companies will still benefit from localizing their game and marketing.
If you are a company looking to enter the Chinese market, this post will demystify the Chinese PC gaming world and help you choose the best approach for your company or product.
Chinese Gaming Industry Statistics 2024
China’s gaming industry has been catching the eyes of outsiders for many years now. As early as 2015, China had surpassed the United States in its contribution to the global gaming market.
Last year, the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association announced that the sales revenue in China’s domestic gaming market exceeded RMB 300 billion for the first time.
What then of PC games?
As someone who lived in China for four years, I was accustomed to seeing gaming cafes in the country where gamers played on computers while eating snacks purchased at the cafe’s shop.
Gaming magazine Niko Partners recently published data showing that 33.4% of global PC gaming revenue is generated in the country, and below is a chart detailing the PC gaming market in 2023.
Outside of China, Chinese mobile games have been the main focus, and many of the top-grossing games on the Google Play Store have come from the Middle Kingdom.
This development over the past half-decade has followed an interesting timeline:
- A rise in restrictions around gaming inside China pushed companies to begin looking outwards.
- The COVID-19 pandemic saw a burst in revenue from mobile gaming overseas.
- Geopolitical tensions and growth in Southeast Asia turned the attention of many Chinese companies to developing countries where people spend more time on mobile phones instead of consoles or PCs.
Although SCMP states only a minority of Chinese gaming companies are worried about geopolitical tensions, some clients of mine cite this as the main reason they’re focusing on other countries.
Throughout this time, Chinese companies moved away from PC games to mobile games for political and monetary reasons; however, things seem to be changing.
The below commentary from an article from Gamelook from earlier in 2024 shows the market may be changing:
“Looking back to China, the domestic game market has clearly rebounded, and the PC market is a standout, maintaining growth for two consecutive years. According to the “2023 China Game Industry Report” released by the Game Working Committee, after the PC market rebounded against the trend last year, the Chinese client game market continued to “soar” in 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 8%.”
The article mentions that the downturn in PC games since 2021 was not due to a lack of desire for higher quality games, but a lack of supply.
With the success of Black Myth: Wukong this year worldwide, I am certain that PC games will regain momentum in the following years.
Levels of Chinese Gamer Markets
We view the Chinese market in terms of several stages of localization.
The first stage is none. An English-language game with non-Chinese payment options (that may even be blocked in China) will have the smallest available market. However, you can expect some Chinese customers due to word of mouth and gamers wanting to find the best games. These customers speak English quite well and will access your game with a VPN and pay via credit card. Unfortunately, this market is quite small.
A larger market is accessible if you can provide easy access to your translated (Chinese) game. Your ability to advertise the game with paid ads will likely be limited. This is described as light to mid-localization, and this article is mainly for these groups.
If you decide to create a fully localized version of your game or even a new game for the Chinese market, you can reach the broadest market. This is heavy compared to the other two types of localization and is often done in partnership with a Chinese publisher.
Work With Chinese Game Designers
If you do choose the heavy route, you may want to work with game designers in China. I personally am friends with Cubism Art, a game art studio based in the same city as Nanjing Marketing Group.
Here are some projects they’ve worked on.
Translate Your Game
If you want to translate your game for the Chinese market, the next step is getting your game ready to be translated.
As someone who has translated several Chinese games into English, I can vouch for translation being just as important as the other aspects of the game. Many games in the past have had their image ruined by rushed translations, both in English and Chinese.
The translation industry can be a realm of smoke and mirrors.
The level of competition often drives down prices to such an extent that quality is hurt, especially when a gaming company lacks the resources to read the language they want their game translated into and therefore, is unaware when a translation is subpar.
Below I have provided some individual translators and companies I have worked with and trust.
Individual Translators
Before you consider going for translation companies, you may consider contacting individual translators directly. After all, many of these translators also work for the translation agencies. I have given a brief description of each below with contact methods.
Albert Wei
Albert is the only translator here based in China. Shanghai in fact. He is fluent in English and has been translating games into Simplified Chinese for over five years. You can contact him here.
Andy Tang
Andy is also Chinese but he is based in London. Therefore, if you are a gaming company from Europe, you may consider working with him for a better time zone. He has also been a translator of games for around 5 years and can be contacted here.
Amy Huang
Amy actually worked on the team that translated Black Myth: Wukong, so you can definitely know in advance that she’ll bring quality to her work. She is based in Canada, so any company in North America may choose to work with her for a better time zone. She can be contacted here.
William Dan
William is a Taiwanese translator based in California. Although he is currently working as a senior linguist at Qingci Games, he is always welcoming to any new project. With this background, you can also be sure he’ll be organized and attentive to any task at hand. He can be contacted here.
Alfred Lu
Although Alfred is based in Taiwan, he is probably the most experienced translator here, having over 6 years of experience. During his time, he has worked on Call of Duty, Hogwarts Legacy, Destiny 2, Ragnarok Mobile: Eternal Love, World of Warcraft, and more. You can contact him here.
Translation Agencies
Translation agencies have the benefit of resources. They can help your company link up with more translators and often have the CAT tools to keep a project well organized. Below are some companies I trust to do English to Chinese translation.
Inlingo
Although Inlingo is based outside of China, their team has the right balance of English and Chinese speakers to ensure good communication between team members. Their non-Chinese employees also have experience living in China.
As you can see from the ad above, they make an effort to advertise to a Chinese audience. In the past, they have attended China Joy, China’s largest gaming conference.
OneSky
Based in Guangzhou, OneSky has good communication when it comes to project management, and most of its employees speak both English and Chinese fluently. They also make use of international software for communication other than WeChat.
Many Chinese companies often have websites that resemble pages from the early 2000s. Due to the prevalence of mobile in China, many companies don’t even see the need for a website. Given the fresh look of OneSky’s website, you can be sure that contacting them is pretty easy.
They boast a reputable client base, and their onboarding test for translators is difficult.
Successglo
Successglo is a translation company that I believe has good organization, especially in terms of their project management and payment systems. They also attend gaming events in China.
I’ve personally worked with them a number of times and have enjoyed working with them. I have also noticed that over the past few years, they’ve expanded their international operations, taking on board non-Chinese as managers.
CTC Translations
This company has a smaller presence in the English world, but I have had enjoyable, hassle-free experiences working with them.
Their pricing may be lower than larger European vendors, but I expect they have a bigger pool of Chinese translators living in China.
If you want to contact them, the best way is through Linkedin. I can also help you contact them via WeChat.
Dubbing Your Game
A game will feel better in a player’s hands if you dub it in the local language.
If this interests you, I have a contract with a company called Hansi Dubbing Co. in China who offer this service.
Should You Have Your Game Reviewed for an ISBN?
It’s important to be aware of the regulations, and you may have heard that a game needs an ISBN.
This is not always the case if you want to publish your game on the international version of Steam: Sonkwo, or Heybox where Chinese players can play your game without needing to check your game complies with the government’s gaming rules.
There is a cap on the number of games the Chinese government officially allows yearly, but it’s useful to understand why having your game reviewed to comply with Chinese laws is beneficial.
Benefits of Having Your Game Reviewed
Without having your game officially reviewed by the Chinese government to receive an ISBN, you’ll be unable to run marketing campaigns using Chinese media or work with local gaming publishers.
While the majority of Chinese players use the international version of Steam, by getting the right papers and gaining access to the local version of Steam and other platforms, you’ll be able to promote your game more.
No ISBN equals no paid traffic. Plus, without a proper audit, influencers on Chinese social media may be less willing to work with you to promote your game.
Bottom Line: The rules around gaming are complicated.
If you are a PC game company with all the Chinese licenses, you can advertise on
- all the platforms, including organic platforms (Short/long video platforms, social media),
- influencers (both on organic platforms and live streaming), and
- Ads (Baidu, 360, short-video ads, banner ads, etc)
If you don’t have the right documents, but your game is legitimate (it does not involve pornography, gambling, drugs, violence, blood, or a virtual currency), you can use organic platforms, influencers, Baidu, and 360 ads.
If you don’t have the right documents, and you’re worried your game contains restricted items, you’ll only be able to promote organically or try Baidu and banner ads (but you may need to remove aspects of the game).
Gaimin is an example of this. Since it’s related to Web3, no influencers can promote their product, so the game is only promoted on Baidu.
How to Have Your Game Reviewed for an ISBN
The General Administration for Press and Publication regulates and approves games in China. Since 2018, this agency has come under the authority of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese government.
Here is a list of how to get an ISBN for your game:
- Must be registered as an online game publisher.
- The game must be copyrighted by the national copyright administration in China.
- The game operator agency must have a Telecommunication and Information Services Business License (ICP Certificate).
- The game must conform to the laws and regulations of the National Press & Publication Administration (NPPA):
- Publisher management regulations
- Internet information service management measures
- Network publishing service management regulations
- Other laws and regulations
- The game must comply with state regulations for protecting minors and game operation activities.
- The game must go through the NPPA qualification process and be accepted to receive an ISBN.
For more information on these rules, please refer to Cocos’s page here.
The most important takeaway when it comes to passing regulations is to make sure your game does not do the following:
- Infringe on the copyright of others.
- Have opposing opinions on the constitution of The People’s Republic of China.
- Endanger national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
- Leak state secrets that harm national security, honor, or interests.
- Entice ethnic hatred and discrimination, endanger ethnic unity, or infringe on ethnic customs or habits.
- Promote cults and superstitions.
- Disturb social order or destroy social stability.
- Promote obscenity, gambling, violence, or glorify crime.
- Insults or slanders others or infringes on their legal rights and interests.
- Endanger social morality or national cultural traditions.
- Infringe on state regulation.
If you go the ISBN route, the next step will be applying for an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license.
Applying for an ICP License
Issued by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, ICP licenses enable your company to run a website or offer online services within the country.
According to Baidu, to apply for an ICP license, the operator must
- be a legally established company, and domestic companies must have a registered capital of at least 1 million RMB;
- have sufficient funds and professional personnel suitable for the development and operation activities;
- have a reputation or capability to provide long-term services to users;
- be a business development plan and relevant technical proposals;
- have comprehensive network and information security measures in place, including website security measures, information confidentiality management systems, and user information security management systems;
- provide relevant documents of consent from the competent authorities must be obtained (for information services requiring prior approval as stipulated in the ICP management regulations); and,
- meet other conditions as specified by the state.
The information provided here pertains specifically to the ICP Operating License.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China’s procedures and requirements for filing non-commercial websites are relatively simple and generally do not require an agent.
Nevertheless, companies often work with a Chinese gaming company that already has a license to make this step easier.
Find a Chinese Game Publisher
China’s legal landscape, not to mention the language, may seem daunting.
If so, consider partnering with a local company to publish your game because this way, you’ll have access to individuals who know what they are doing so that you don’t need to worry about the rules yourself.
Your next question will be “What company does our product best align with?”
Every company in China has its own branding, especially game-related ones that may focus on a specific genre.
Below I have listed a few. The first is more independent but focused on Steam, the other two are larger gaming companies.
IndieArk
Based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, IndieArk, a game publisher focusing mainly on Steam games, features first because I am on good terms with them.
Below is a list of their previous partners.
The company can help with many tasks tailored to your needs for the Chinese market, including translation and PR.
Tencent
Tencent, the company behind China’s “super-app”— the social messaging app WeChat, has been a market leader in the game industry for years, with a wide selection of games across different genres.
The company’s most famous game is Honor of Kings, an MMORPG mobile game similar to League of Legends, the battle royale game PUBG, and the PvPvE co-op shooter Synced: Off-Planet.
If you are looking for a company that has been around the block and knows the environment like the back of its hand, Tencent may be your choice.
Tencent’s relationship with international companies also demonstrates an understanding of cross-cultural communication.
The below data comes from Niko Partners.
miHoYo
Despite Tencent being the top player in China’s gaming industry, miHoYo may now be the most famous Chinese gaming company internationally, with its game Genshin Impact remaining popular both inside and outside China for almost half a decade.
At the very least, miHoYo is highly respected within gaming circles, and a partnership with miHoYo may guarantee your game’s reputation from the moment of release.
It’s worth mentioning that miHoYo became known for making games that could be played on PC, mobile, and game systems, but doesn’t have as much range as Tencent in terms of genres; tending to specialize in anime-like action RPGs.
Netease
Netease has been in second place behind Tencent for many years. It’s well known for Naraka: Bladepoint, a free-to-play action battle royale game steeped in Chinese culture, and Onmyoji, a turn-based fantasy strategy game.
Netease was, until 2023, the publisher of Blizzard Games in China, and has also worked with Warner Bros to publish Harry Potter: Magic Awakened.
Video Streaming Platforms for Advertising Games in China
Like in the West, video platforms are another important tool to advertise games, and a survey by Niko found that PC gamers were the most likely to learn about new games from short videos.
Given this, let’s review some of China’s top live-streaming platforms for games.
Douyin (TikTok)
I probably don’t need to talk too much about Douyin given the success of TikTok in the West. Just remember that Douyin is even more popular in China than its sister app TikTok in North America or Europe, especially given the absence of Instagram as a competitor.
Mobile games are also more successful in China, so Douyin’s platform appeals more to that gameplay style.
Even if your game is not mobile, you should still utilize Douyin’s powerful algorithm to attract new players.
Here are a few ideas on how to use Douyin to promote PC games in China:
- Publish demos and trailers. If you already have these available in English, an easy first step is to add subtitles and share them on Douyin. That may require just a couple of hours of effort per video.
- Create Chinese-language demos and trailers. If you’re willing to spend 10 or more hours per video, you can tailor them more to the Chinese market.
- Work with influencers. Influencers will charge more but can help you reach a broader audience more quickly. Each influencer has their own requirements and way of working.
- Advertise. Douyin’s advertising system allows you to spend more to boost your content so it can be applied to any of the content mentioned above.
Overall, you’ll see these tactics work for other video platforms.
Huya & Douyu
Launched in 2014, Huya Live is currently the most popular streaming platform for gaming with 4.4 million paying users.
Although its main focus is esports, it also contains videos related to single-player games and other topics like cooking.
It is important to mention that Huya has been losing out to emerging competitors in recent years.
Tencent owns a good stake in both companies and is even debating merging Huya with its rival Douyu.
As of 2024, Tencent still owns over 50% of the market.
Bilibili
The NASDAQ-listed Bilibili is probably the most well-known video-streaming service of all the companies mentioned here.
The company also publishes games for the Chinese market, including the popular Fate/Grand Order.
Sony is included in BiliBili’s list of collaborators, and the company’s esports arm was created in partnership with the Chinese Ping An Bank, an arm of Ping An Group, one of the largest companies in China.
One unique characteristic of BiliBili’s platform is its bullet curtain, a subtitle system where users post moving comments onto a playing video, which are then synchronized with the video timeline. These are also known as “bullet comments”.
This feature works well if your company wants to give consumers more opportunities to interact with your game content or commercials.
Netease CC Live
Next up is Netease—China’s second-biggest gaming company.
In recent years, they have moved into the streaming platform market with CC Live, and with over 280 million registered users and 200,000 contracted livestreamers, this website is slated to remain stable in the long run.
Remember, foreign gaming companies will often partner with some of China’s larger entities like Netease.
With CC Live catering mainly to Netease’s long list of PC and mobile games, it may be a better route to work with Netease and use their website if it is your first time marketing a game in China.
Huajiao
Released in 2015, Huajiao is another popular online streaming app.
The pandemic had a significant effect on the company. In 2020 alone, the website saw a 98.8% increase in the number of amateur livestreamers making content about all sorts of topics (not just gaming), and for the first three quarters of that year, it ranked number one for monthly users.
Platforms for Advertising Games in China
Apart from video streaming services, a company may also want to advertise on gaming platforms.
Sonkwo
Launched in 2013, Sonkwo is an online gaming platform catering to hardcore gamers, offering games from all over the world.
The company has also gone one step further to make its stylish website a social media site for gamers.
HeyBox
With an IP address based in Hong Kong, HeyBox was mentioned earlier with Sonkwo concerning companies that can publish games without going through China’s regulations.
Their website belongs to Qingfeng (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.
There are currently 80 million registered users on the site, and players can also use the platform to keep up with industry news.
Heybox has long been partnered with Steam, meaning the data you’ll get from Steam about your user base will come from Heybox. Therefore, if you want more concrete knowledge of how your game is doing, it’ll be better to check Heybox instead of statistical data.
HeyBox also has a section of the platform devoted to influencers where you can find players who stream similar games to work with.
Tencent’s WeGame
I mentioned earlier how Tencent is the leading gaming company in China, and its competitive edge includes a gaming platform too.
Created in 2017 to help games that no longer appear on other sites and indie companies, Tencent’s WeGame allows gaming companies to publish and advertise games within China.
According to 163.com, 75% of all PC games in China use WeGame and so do 61 million active monthly users (data from summer 2023).
Steam
Steam is the most popular platform internationally for promoting and purchasing PC games. China is no exception, with the platform accepting payments in Chinese Yuan from WeChat Pay and Alipay.
In recent years, there has been some worry about Steam’s future.
In 2021, Steam was blacklisted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, preventing players from using it without a VPN, and a 2022 article described the platform’s tainted history in the country.
This was only a few months after Steam—to accommodate government regulations—officially entered China (despite Chinese gamers using the platform since 2004).
Regardless of these concerns, as of April 2024, Steam is going strong and Niko Partners published a recent report detailing how the platform is still number one for PC gaming in China.
It is worth remembering that 80% of Chinese PC gamers use the international version.
According to Dao Insights, Simplified Chinese became the most-used language on Steam this year. Although this has happened in the past on the platform, this was the first time since Steam China was launched.
Remember, Steam is just as important to China’s gaming economy as it is to other countries.
Chinese companies see it as the number one way of selling to the international market. In fact, given the number of games only in Chinese, many gaming companies even rely on Steam to sell to domestic players.
Use Social Media to Advertise PC Games in China
Like other countries, social media is a key part of marketing in China; but, China is unique in that it has a different social media ecosystem compared to North America, Europe, and even Japan.
Let’s cover some of China’s top social media platforms, which could help you promote our game.
China’s Social Media Landscape
While social media works very much the same in China as it does in other countries, it’s important to remember that there are different websites and apps. These apps may have unique user interfaces that change how a user may interact with the media presented to them. Let’s go over some of the top social media apps.
REDnote (Xiaohongshu)
REDnote’s popularity recently, particularly among women, is very much on the up.
Although it is similar to Instagram, its usage of tabs to organize the user experience makes it unique—and one of these tabs includes gaming.
While REDnote may not be for game streaming like some platforms I’ve already mentioned, its strength lies in its focus on branding. The app is based around users forming communities to share lifestyle tips and information on products they enjoy.
The app has been so popular that new lingo has emerged online to explain how its eCommerce features function.
For example, 种草 translates “to plant grass” and refers to the initial showing of a product to garner desire for it. The term 长草 means “to grow grass,” where the desire for a product gradually increases the more it is seen.
For more information on REDnote, you can see my previous article here.
WeChat, China’s most popular social messaging app, needs no big introduction.
The program allows companies to set up official accounts to promote themselves, and like Facebook or WhatsApp, users can follow company pages to view any content they produce.
Companies that create Official Accounts on WeChat can publish articles or make short videos, like the ones you’d see on TikTok or Instagram.
Below is the account for the popular game publisher Lilith Games (another company you may choose to work with if you want to sell in China).
As you can see, they frequently publish articles—read by thousands of people—updating fans about what they are up to.
You can learn more about WeChat Official Accounts here.
Weibo is often called “China’s X (Twitter).”
Weibo users can click the tabs at the top of the screen to see posts within a certain category (gaming is one of these).
Like with X, companies can utilize trends and hashtags to get momentum for their content, and on the right side of the screen, a user can see the top ten trending topics on the site.
How to Utilize Social Media to Advertise Your PC Game
Let’s examine a few ways you could utilize them to promote your game.
Given that Black Myth: Wukong has been successful in China as well as outside China, let’s use the game as a model for how you could run an advertisement campaign.
In-Game Sneak Peaks
People unfamiliar with Chinese mythology might not fully understand the background of Black Myth: Wukong, but its developer, Game Science, began sharing content from the game online to show off the graphics and artwork long before the game was released.
Such tactics work well in China too. Below is a video shared in June on Weibo, China’s X.
Hold Contests
Another way companies can build followers online months before the release date is by holding contests. Below is a post on X from Black Myth: Wukong inviting users to explore the mythology behind the game and share the post.
Make Polls
Some social media sites allow accounts to release polls.
These can be very useful if your game is already well-known outside China and is waiting to be localized before its release date.
If you are a company with fans already in China, polls can help you gain insight into your audience and build anticipation for an upcoming release.
Run Paid Ads
WeChat and Weibo allow companies to pay for ads on their platforms.
WeChat Official Accounts can pay for ads to appear on users’ Moments—an area of WeChat that functions a lot like Facebook’s home page.
Check out this article for more information on how to run paid ads on WeChat.
Weibo has a way of allowing companies to pay for ads so they’re placed in the platform’s trending bar, as seen below.
Here is a page from an ad link on Weibo
However, this method may be costly or difficult to do.
Companies may also wish to use news feed ads to boost an underperforming (number of views or interactions) Weibo post so it reaches a broader audience.
This approach has limited targeting options but no additional requirements, such as setting up an advertising account or verification. It’s an easy and fast way to get more exposure.
You may also choose to utilize Fan Connect ads.
Fan Connect ads are more complex than News Feed ads and contain advanced options for bidding and targeting. I’d say that this model will be familiar to search engine marketers.
You can create campaigns and set up target audiences based on
- location,
- demographics,
- interests,
- Device, and
- stage of life.
If you would like to learn more about Weibo for marketing and advertising, check out this article.
Work With Game Magazines & Websites to Advertise Your Game in China
I have already mentioned how you may want to use WeChat’s Official Account feature.
There are several popular Official Accounts devoted to China’s gaming industry that already have millions of fans, and here are a few accounts that could write about or review your product.
游戏研究社 (Game Research Society)
Since 2016, the Game Research Society has been one of the most well-known places to learn about China’s gaming industry. Outside of WeChat, the company releases content on its website and platforms like Baidu.
Gamelook
Beginning operations in 2009, GameLook is one of China’s leading game industry media outlets providing high-value industry information and research data to game developers, publishers, game industry investors, and industry chain stakeholders.
Above is their website and below is their WeChat Official Account.
小鸡游戏 (Chick Gaming)
You may decide to work with lesser-known, but still successful, WeChat gaming news accounts. Chick Gaming is one such Official Account that is quite active and has a large following.
How Nanjing Marketing Group Can Help
Our solution is a great fit for gaming companies that meet these two requirements:
- You plan on entering the Chinese market via Steam, rather than by partnering with a major publisher.
- You are already creating English-language content for use on social media.
Nanjing Marketing Group understands the importance of content as the primary vehicle for introducing Chinese gamers to, and getting them excited about your game. This informative and entertaining content tends to spread organically, without the need for costly advertising.
Provide us with your English source content, and we’ll turn it into a version adapted for Chinese audiences—ready to share across multiple platforms.