ChinaJoy generates $100m worth of business deals
Growing region confident in browser games, but social and mobile are still huge opportunities says government body
Last month's ChinaJoy expo, the largest videogame and digital expo in the region, generated almost $100 million worth of business deals, according to Chinese government agency GAPP.
Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, secretary general Zhihai Han said that while the region is confident in its outsourcing business, and has an established and strong economy based on browser games, social networks and mobile gaming are now the biggest opportunities in the region.
"According to our exhibitors, business deals onsite reached a total contractual value of $98.56 million," said Han of the event, which attracted 10,000 trade visitors this year.
"We wish that we had a well-developed SNS (Social Network Services) business in China, but we are still looking for a successful business model that's able to meet the consumption habits of the Chinese.
"Professionals in this business are full of confidence; but if we talk about making a profit, game companies are still more interested in doing web games," he added.
Haoxia Ming, managing director of trade body Shanghai Multimedia Industry Association, said that while some company's are making inroads in the social games business, its at the cost of smaller start-ups.
"The games industry in China is still in a phase of continuous development, and many SNS game businesses are not mature. Except for several large social exchange platforms, many small and medium-sized social network services are challenged by fierce competition, and M&A activity is not uncommon."
"On the other hand, the online games publishing industry in China, which is only about eleven years old, has completed its transformation from simple distribution to independent R&D, and laid a solid foundation for successful export of our domestic online games to other countries."
This year's ChinaJoy featured a dedicated mobile zone to reflect growth in the region, which boasts a 3G user base of 87 million.
"We are very optimistic about mobile entertainment for the next three years, following the popularity of smartphones and 3G in China. It has a potential market size you can hardly imagine, especially in China," he offered.
The full interview with Haoxia Ming and Zhihai Han can be read here.