https://www.scmp.com/rss/324768/feed Honour of Kings is a fantasy role-playing multiplayer online battle game made by Chinese internet giant Tencent. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ann Cao Ann Cao Tencent Holdings, the world’s largest video gaming company by revenue, is intensifying its international expansion as its flagship studio reports a record number of overseas players and prepares to launch a new title based on its flagship game, Honour of Kings. TiMi Studio Group – developer of Honour of Kings, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Delta Force – has reached 100 million monthly active users outside mainland China, a milestone that took the 17-year-old studio by surprise, according to Huang... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322324/tencent-game-studio-eyes-global-growth-honour-kings-spin-after-user-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322324/tencent-game-studio-eyes-global-growth-honour-kings-spin-after-user-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 01:00:13 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Tencent Holdings’ Honour of Kings: World is among China’s first batch of video games approved in 2025, raising expectations that the title, which is still under development, will turn out to be the latest hit from the world’s largest gaming company. The open-world, action role-playing game, a spin-off of the company’s massively popular multiplayer online battle arena game Honour of Kings, is one of the 136 new titles approved in January by the National Press and Publication Administration... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295838/tencents-honor-kings-spin-gets-green-light-china-approves-136-new-games-january?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3295838/tencents-honor-kings-spin-gets-green-light-china-approves-136-new-games-january?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:30:13 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao Tencent Holdings, operator of China’s biggest social media app and the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, beat analyst estimates with a 47 per cent profit jump in the third quarter, helped by renewed growth in the video gaming segment. Profit reached 53.2 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion) in the three months ended September, up from 36.2 billion yuan in the same period a year ago. That exceeded the consensus estimates of 45.3 billion yuan from analysts polled by Bloomberg. Revenue for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286405/tencent-beats-estimates-47-profit-jump-driven-video-gaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3286405/tencent-beats-estimates-47-profit-jump-driven-video-gaming?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 09:14:12 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao Tencent Holdings saw profits jump 82 per cent in the second quarter, beating analyst estimates, on the back of new video gaming growth and improved advertising performance. Profit reached 47.6 billion yuan (US$6.6 billion) for the quarter ended June, up from 26.2 billion yuan in the same period a year ago. Total revenue for the Hong Kong-listed firm reached 161.1 billion yuan, up 8 per cent year on year from 149 billion yuan. Analysts expected 40.3 billion yuan in profit and 161.3 billion yuan... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274455/tencent-profit-jumps-82-beating-estimates-after-strong-video-gaming-ad-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274455/tencent-profit-jumps-82-beating-estimates-after-strong-video-gaming-ad-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2024 08:51:11 +0000 Mario Ho Yau-kwan, the youngest son of the late Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, on Friday became the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company in Asia, as the 29-year-old entrepreneur’s esports firm NIP Group started trading in the United States. NIP, which achieved a milestone as the first listed Chinese company in the esports industry, raised a total of US$20.25 million from its offering of 2.25 million American depositary shares at US$9 per share. “Looking back at this journey, we... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3272213/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-leads-first-listed-chinese-company-esports-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3272213/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-leads-first-listed-chinese-company-esports-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 11:30:25 +0000 Tencent Holdings has pulled new hit Dungeon & Fighter (DnF) Mobile from the app stores of Huawei Technologies, Oppo and Vivo, as the contracts of these major Chinese Android smartphone vendors expired less than a month after the video game’s launch. DnF Mobile will no longer be available on some Android platforms from Thursday, according to a notice released on Wednesday by the game’s operating team. The affected app stores – including those of Huawei, Oppo and Vivo – were identified on the same... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3267277/tencent-pulls-hit-game-dnf-mobile-app-stores-huawei-oppo-and-vivo-sign-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3267277/tencent-pulls-hit-game-dnf-mobile-app-stores-huawei-oppo-and-vivo-sign-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 23:00:08 +0000 Esports entrepreneur Mario Ho Yau-kwan, the youngest son of the late Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, is seeking to expand the international reach of his organisation NIP Group, as it pursues an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. NIP is a Cayman Islands-based holding company, with operations primarily conducted through two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Ninjas in Pyjamas Gaming in Sweden, which is engaged in esports teams operations; and Wuhan Xingjingweiwu Culture & Sports... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266695/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-sets-sights-chinas-first-esports-ipo-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266695/stanley-hos-youngest-son-mario-sets-sights-chinas-first-esports-ipo-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 01:00:19 +0000 Tencent Holdings is looking to sharpen its focus on “evergreen” video games that generate steady revenue, instead of rushing out new titles, as the domestic market continues to mature. “We are more focused now, and we tend to cancel many products with intermediate positioning,” Tencent senior vice-president Steven Ma Xiaoyi said in a report published on Tuesday by Chinese digital news outlet Youxiputao. “For those projects that will never have the opportunity to challenge the first or second... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264602/tencent-sharpens-focus-evergreen-video-games-mainland-china-domestic-industry-matures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264602/tencent-sharpens-focus-evergreen-video-games-mainland-china-domestic-industry-matures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 11:50:14 +0000 Tencent Holdings’ newly released game, Dungeon & Fighter (DnF) Mobile, has become a runaway hit on Apple’s mainland China App Store, surpassing the daily revenue of the internet giant’s two flagship titles, Honour of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite. The mobile version of Dungeon & Fighter Online, the personal computer (PC) game developed by Nexon subsidiary Neople, on May 22 outstripped the daily revenue of those two high-performing Tencent games on the China App Store in just the second day of its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264448/tencents-dnf-mobile-rises-new-runaway-hit-video-gaming-giant-surpassing-honour-kings-daily-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264448/tencents-dnf-mobile-rises-new-runaway-hit-video-gaming-giant-surpassing-honour-kings-daily-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2024 11:26:28 +0000 Chinese video game live-streaming platform Douyu denied recent reports that it would finally be merging with main rival Huya – both backed by Tencent Holdings – but acknowledged the two firms are working together in some areas, according to local media reports. Douyu said on Monday that there are no merger plans between the two companies, according to The Paper, an online news organisation under state-backed Shanghai United Media Group. The fresh rumours have emerged more than three years after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3251116/tencent-backed-video-game-live-streamers-douyu-and-huya-deny-merger-rumours-bytedance-deal-threatens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3251116/tencent-backed-video-game-live-streamers-douyu-and-huya-deny-merger-rumours-bytedance-deal-threatens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:00:10 +0000 China’s internet giants must accelerate efforts to open up their “walled gardens”, enabling their ecosystems to work across platforms as a means “to face market pressures together” and assure the industry’s further expansion, according to state-owned media. At present, collaborations among these companies “are far from deep”, said an article published on Tuesday by Shenzhen-based Securities Times, a financial newspaper owned by the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily. The call to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3248762/chinas-internet-giants-must-step-opening-their-walled-gardens-state-media-says-ahead-tencent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3248762/chinas-internet-giants-must-step-opening-their-walled-gardens-state-media-says-ahead-tencent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2024 10:00:26 +0000 Apple chief executive Tim Cook last week made a low-key visit to mainland China – his second trip to the country this year, following a week-long whistle-stop tour in March – as the US technology giant pursues expansion initiatives amid regulatory scrutiny and slow economic growth in one of its best-performing markets. Speaking at an Apple Store in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan province, Cook told reporters that he was excited about the work Chinese-based developers have done on apps... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238257/apple-ceo-tim-cook-makes-second-china-visit-2023-amid-tough-iphone-15-market-and-app-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3238257/apple-ceo-tim-cook-makes-second-china-visit-2023-amid-tough-iphone-15-market-and-app-store?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:00:10 +0000 China won four esports gold medals out of seven matches at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, providing a morale boost for the country’s video gaming fans who yearn for recognition of their hobby amid Beijing’s hostility towards the industry. Tens of thousands of young Chinese, some joined by their parents, flocked to Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, to cheer teams competing in video games, which have been labelled “spiritual opium” by Chinese state media. Youth addiction to gaming is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3236668/asian-games-2023-china-bags-over-half-gold-medals-esports-events-even-beijing-maintains-its-harsh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3236668/asian-games-2023-china-bags-over-half-gold-medals-esports-events-even-beijing-maintains-its-harsh?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2023 11:03:17 +0000 While the first esports gold medal for China at the Asian Games has been celebrated across the country, few expect Beijing to change its tough stance on video gaming, which includes a weekly three-hour play time limit for those under the age of 18. China’s national team beat Malaysia 2-0 to take the Arena of Valor gold at the Asian Games on Tuesday in Hangzhou. Chinese official media, from the People’s Daily to China Central Television, praised the achievement in a rare display of support in a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3236014/china-may-have-won-esports-gold-arena-valor-victory-unlikely-change-beijings-tough-stance-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3236014/china-may-have-won-esports-gold-arena-valor-victory-unlikely-change-beijings-tough-stance-video?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:33:12 +0000 China have won the Asian Games’ first ever gold medal in esports after a victory over Malaysia in the title Arena of Valor, the international version of Honour of Kings. The six-player Chinese national team won 2-0 in the esports finals, where the best of three matches takes the crown, at the Hangzhou Esports Centre on Tuesday night. The players use a version of the game that Tencent Holdings created specifically for the Asian Games, which merges elements of both Arena of Valor and Honour of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3235896/asian-games-2023-china-wins-first-esports-gold-medal-hangzhou-playing-tencents-arena-valor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3235896/asian-games-2023-china-wins-first-esports-gold-medal-hangzhou-playing-tencents-arena-valor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Sep 2023 14:33:38 +0000 Tencent Holdings has secured the rights to develop and publish the mobile edition of Bandai Namco Holdings’s Blue Protocol, betting on one of this year’s most anticipated multiplayer video games to rekindle international growth, according to people familiar with the matter. The world’s biggest video gaming company has assembled a developer team for the project and holds the global distribution rights, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private plans. The tie-up is an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3234347/tencent-develop-mobile-version-hit-anime-game-blue-protocol-deal-bandai-namco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3234347/tencent-develop-mobile-version-hit-anime-game-blue-protocol-deal-bandai-namco?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:00:14 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings are joining forces to promote their flagship brands in a rare collaboration between China’s two largest technology companies, as the local race to attract eyeballs online heats up amid a slowing economy. Alibaba’s e-commerce platform Taobao and Tencent’s hugely popular mobile game Honour of Kings are launching an invitation-only competition, with the finals to be broadcast on live-streaming service Taobao Live on August 5, according to a press release... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3229152/alibabas-taobao-live-stream-tencents-honour-kings-rare-partnership-chinas-top-tech-giants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3229152/alibabas-taobao-live-stream-tencents-honour-kings-rare-partnership-chinas-top-tech-giants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 23:00:24 +0000 Tencent Holdings, operator of the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, has appointed a new head for its popular game live-streaming platform Huya amid regulatory pressure and fierce competition in this market. Lin Songtao, who serves as a vice-president at Shenzhen-based Tencent, was named Huya’s new chairman effective immediately, replacing Huang Lingdong who had held that post since April 2020, according to a statement on Tuesday from the New York-listed live-streaming... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3221717/tencent-replaces-chairman-video-game-live-streaming-platform-huya-amid-regulatory-pressure-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3221717/tencent-replaces-chairman-video-game-live-streaming-platform-huya-amid-regulatory-pressure-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 14:00:11 +0000 Tencent Holdings, operator of the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, unveiled more than 30 game updates and new projects in the pipeline at its annual Spark conference, as competition heats up in the industry after Beijing eased its regulatory crackdown. Touting more updates and projects than last year’s total of 26, the Shenzhen-based internet giant on Monday signalled a recovery in the world’s largest video gaming market at the conference, where the company highlighted potential... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3220782/tencent-unveils-more-30-video-game-updates-and-new-projects-pipeline-it-braces-increased-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3220782/tencent-unveils-more-30-video-game-updates-and-new-projects-pipeline-it-braces-increased-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 May 2023 14:30:09 +0000 ByteDance and Tencent Holdings both released new apps recently, as China’s Big Tech firms gun for new growth after nearly two years of business retreat and consolidation under Beijing’s tightened regulatory scrutiny. Social media and video gaming giant Tencent earlier this month launched Xiaoe Yuyin, a social media app that includes a voice chat function for users to play video games as teams. Still in testing mode, the app currently targets players of Tencent’s blockbuster multiplayer online... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3214151/tencent-bytedance-roll-out-new-apps-chinas-big-tech-firms-return-quest-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3214151/tencent-bytedance-roll-out-new-apps-chinas-big-tech-firms-return-quest-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Mar 2023 12:00:10 +0000 China’s major video gaming companies are looking to better promote the nation’s culture and uphold social values, as regulatory restrictions ease up in the industry’s largest market. That was the consensus expressed by senior executives from Tencent Holdings, NetEase, Perfect World, miHoYo, Lilith Games and 37Games during the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association’s two-day annual conference that concluded on Tuesday in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3210203/chinas-leading-video-gaming-companies-assert-industrys-contribution-terms-social-value-regulatory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3210203/chinas-leading-video-gaming-companies-assert-industrys-contribution-terms-social-value-regulatory?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 13:03:22 +0000 Genshin Impact, the video game launched by Shanghai studio miHoYo in September 2020, bagged US$4 billion in global revenue by the end of 2022 to make it one of the most successful mobile titles of all time and marking the rise of China-developed games. The game has achieved “long-term success in major mobile game countries”, according to a December report by US app analytics firm Sensor Tower. Nearly two thirds of the revenue was generated outside China with Japan, the United States and South... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3205443/genshin-impact-bags-us4-billion-sign-rising-power-chinas-video-gaming-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3205443/genshin-impact-bags-us4-billion-sign-rising-power-chinas-video-gaming-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jan 2023 23:00:09 +0000 Chinese video gaming giant Tencent Holdings will stand trial starting Tuesday to face allegations of copyright infringement from a subsidiary of rival ByteDance, according to an updated schedule on the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court’s website. Shanghai Moonton Technology claims that Tencent infringed on the rights of its hit video game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which is especially popular in Southeast Asia. The alleged violations include those of rights to authorship, reproduction, and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3201091/tencent-face-bytedances-moonton-court-over-video-game-infringement-allegations-amid-years-long-feud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3201091/tencent-face-bytedances-moonton-court-over-video-game-infringement-allegations-amid-years-long-feud?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Nov 2022 08:00:20 +0000 China’s mobile game sales in the third quarter plunged to their lowest since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with tightened industry regulations weighing on what is traditionally a peak season for video gaming as schools break for summer. Total sales in the Chinese video gaming market declined to 59.7 billion yuan (US$8.23 billion) between July and September, down 19.1 per cent from 73.8 billion yuan in the same period last year, according to a report on Friday by Chinese video gaming... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3197034/china-video-gaming-crackdown-industry-revenue-sinks-new-low-q3-under-beijings-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3197034/china-video-gaming-crackdown-industry-revenue-sinks-new-low-q3-under-beijings-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 10:05:08 +0000 Tencent Holdings, the world’s largest video game company by revenue, has won a gaming licence from Beijing via an obscure subsidiary, ending a 15-month drought of approvals for new titles, according to the latest list published by China’s video gaming regulator. However, Health Defence Battle – a small mobile game that gives players health tips during a game and which is operated by Tencent subsidiary Nanjing Wangdian Technology – is not likely to generate the same profits as hit titles such as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3192477/tencent-secures-first-china-video-game-licence-15-months-dont-expect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3192477/tencent-secures-first-china-video-game-licence-15-months-dont-expect?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:30:23 +0000 Tencent Holdings, the Chinese technology giant that operates the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, is pivoting overseas, as the home market cools under strict regulations. During the four-day Tencent Game Developers Conference that kicked off on Sunday, the Shenzhen-based company has highlighted expansion opportunities abroad for its in-house titles, as well as those from other Chinese developers. Chinese games have high growth potential in several emerging markets, including the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3189108/tencent-looks-overseas-video-gaming-growth-home-market-cools-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3189108/tencent-looks-overseas-video-gaming-growth-home-market-cools-under?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:00:15 +0000 Tencent Holdings and miHoYo maintain their ranking atop the video gaming industry with the world’s most lucrative mobile games in the first half of this year, despite a sluggish global market, according to the latest data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower. Honour of Kings and PUBG Mobile from internet giant Tencent, which runs the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, remained the industry’s highest-grossing mobile titles in the first half, according to Sensor Tower. For the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3184491/chinas-tencent-mihoyo-remain-top-their-industry-worlds-most?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3184491/chinas-tencent-mihoyo-remain-top-their-industry-worlds-most?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jul 2022 14:30:33 +0000 Tencent Holdings, which operates the world’s biggest video gaming business by revenue, asserts that the sector’s technologies are making a contribution to areas outside online entertainment, including culture, science and traditional industries, even as China’s regulators continue their scrutiny of content created by game developers. Subsidiary Tencent Games played up that theme at its “Spark 2022” online conference earlier this week, featuring a virtual avatar of Tencent senior vice-president... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3183715/tencent-plays-social-value-video-gaming-tech-chinas-regulators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3183715/tencent-plays-social-value-video-gaming-tech-chinas-regulators?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 14:30:17 +0000 Chinese-developed mobile games are predicted to generate greater demand overseas, particularly in the United States and Europe, as tightened industry regulation and slowing growth dampen further expansion in the domestic market, according to a new report. The US and Europe will be the “primary focus” for Chinese video gaming firms’ expansion overseas, a vast market that is forecast to reach 100 billion yuan (US$14.9 billion) over an unspecified period, according to a report published over the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3177208/chinese-mobile-games-future-lies-us-europe-amid-tightened-regulation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3177208/chinese-mobile-games-future-lies-us-europe-amid-tightened-regulation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 May 2022 11:30:19 +0000 China’s biggest mobile games Honour of Kings, PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact continue to be the most lucrative titles in the world this year amid a tougher gaming market and a prolonged suspension of new video game licences. Tencent Holdings, the world’s largest video gaming company, continued its reign at the top of Sensor Tower’s list of top mobile games by revenue based on income from Apple’s iOS App Store and Google Play. Its Honour of Kings and PUBG Mobile titles raked in US$735.4 million... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3173288/chinese-mobile-games-tencent-mihoyo-are-still-top-earners-tougher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3173288/chinese-mobile-games-tencent-mihoyo-are-still-top-earners-tougher?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 22:30:18 +0000 It has been a wild year for China’s video gaming market. Stocks took a dive in August following an editorial lambasting internet games as “spiritual opium”. Then Beijing placed additional restrictions on the amount of time children can spend playing games – just three hours most weeks – again battering tech stocks, especially those of Tencent Holdings and NetEase. Since then, things have calmed down a little. It turns out that many children are still finding ways around ever tightening... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3156540/china-vs-video-games-why-beijing-stopped-short-gaming-ban-keeping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3156540/china-vs-video-games-why-beijing-stopped-short-gaming-ban-keeping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Nov 2021 13:00:13 +0000 Tencent Holdings, the world’s largest video game company by revenue, released the long-anticipated mobile title League of Legends: Wild Rift in China on Friday, while the industry remains under intense scrutiny from Beijing over concerns about gaming addiction. The release of the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, developed by Tencent’s US subsidiary Riot Games, comes nearly a year after it was first made available as a public beta outside the country last October. The long... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151691/tencent-releases-long-awaited-league-legends-mobile-game-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151691/tencent-releases-long-awaited-league-legends-mobile-game-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:30:21 +0000 Hit Chinese games – including Tencent Holdings’ Pokémon Unite and Honour of Kings, as well as miHoYo’s Genshin Impact – have shattered global download and revenue records, even as the gaming industry in China faces an intense government crackdown. Pokémon Unite, a game developed jointly by Tencent and Japanese video game giant Nintendo, amassed more than 30 million downloads around the world within the first week of its mobile release on September 22, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151168/chinese-hit-games-reach-new-heights-amid-beijings-crackdown-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151168/chinese-hit-games-reach-new-heights-amid-beijings-crackdown-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Oct 2021 14:00:19 +0000 Tencent Holdings, which runs the world’s biggest video gaming business by revenue, said it cannot ascertain if a player has cheated its facial recognition system to get around age restrictions, as Beijing ratchets up the pressure on the industry to tackle gaming addiction among minors. The company’s admission followed its investigation of a 60-year-old gamer – born in 1961, based on the person’s national identification number – who played its flagship mobile game Honour of Kings at 3am earlier... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3148324/tencent-quandary-about-verification-workarounds-60-year-old-player?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3148324/tencent-quandary-about-verification-workarounds-60-year-old-player?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Sep 2021 12:00:12 +0000 China’s regulators should tighten their grip on video games to avoid the distortion of history, according to top radio broadcaster China National Radio (CNR), adding even more uncertainty to one of the country’s strongest industries. “Industry regulators should have zero tolerance toward distorted online games that make normal life impossible,” the commentary published on CNR’s website on Saturday said, adding that some games could “easily influence the thoughts and judgments of players in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3145057/china-should-tighten-its-grip-video-games-distort-history-says-countrys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3145057/china-should-tighten-its-grip-video-games-distort-history-says-countrys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Aug 2021 11:00:12 +0000 Online and video games are arguably the most lucrative sector of the entertainment industry, with an estimated 2 billion global players and annual revenue exceeding that generated by films, television and books. But with profits and popularity can also come societal problems. The world’s biggest gaming company by revenue, the Chinese firm Tencent, has voluntarily tightened restrictions for those aged under 18 for its flagship title, Honour of Kings . Beijing, worried about addiction, already has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144737/tencent-right-limit-access-online-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144737/tencent-right-limit-access-online-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Aug 2021 20:30:12 +0000 Concerns about an ongoing regulatory crackdown on China’s technology sector is starting to weigh on merger activity and could slow down what has been a bumper year for domestic deals, according to PwC. The volume of domestic deals by strategic buyers in the first half surged to its highest level since early 2018, with 2,753 transactions raising US$145.6 billion, the audit and consulting firm said. That represented a 41 per cent increase from the latter half of 2020 and a nearly 7 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3143812/chinas-crackdown-tech-sector-could-cool-ma-activity-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3143812/chinas-crackdown-tech-sector-could-cool-ma-activity-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 22:00:19 +0000 Tencent Holdings, which runs the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, has significantly cut down playing time for minors under 18 on its flagship game Honour of Kings in a bid to appease Beijing’s concerns about gaming addiction among young people in China. Gamers under the age of 18 will have their playing time limited to one hour on regular days and two hours on public holidays, according to new rules announced by Tencent that come into effect from Wednesday. These minors were... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3143779/tencent-cuts-kids-playing-time-flagship-game-honour-kings-appease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3143779/tencent-cuts-kids-playing-time-flagship-game-honour-kings-appease?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 08:26:31 +0000 At the beginning of 2021, the trillion-dollar club almost added a new member: Tencent Holdings. However, the social media and gaming giant saw its momentum flag as China’s government ramped up the pressure on the country’s entire technology sector. Starting in July, the Shenzhen-based company has seen a merger deal blocked, been ordered to end its exclusive music licencing deals with global record labels, and suspended new user registrations on its super app, WeChat. Since the beginning of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3143647/how-tencent-missed-its-chance-join-trillion-dollar-club-brief-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3143647/how-tencent-missed-its-chance-join-trillion-dollar-club-brief-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 17:00:11 +0000 A report against video gaming by a newspaper managed by the Xinhua News Agency was deleted from the publication’s website and on its WeChat account at noon on Tuesday, a move that one regulatory source said was made because its attack against the industry does not represent Beijing’s official stance. The piece, published in the investigation section of the Economic Information Daily, described video gaming as a “spiritual opium” that is harming the country’s teenagers and singled out Tencent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3143625/chinese-newspaper-deletes-report-called-video-gaming-spiritual-opium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3143625/chinese-newspaper-deletes-report-called-video-gaming-spiritual-opium?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 06:40:31 +0000 Imagine, if you will, a neighbourhood watch patrolling cyberspace in the dead of night, searching out ne’er-do-wells lurking in the dead of night. Except, these culprits sneaking around are kids, using an adult’s accounts to play games at night and skirt China’s anti-gaming addiction rules. On Tuesday, the Chinese gaming giant Tencent launched an update to its neighbourhood watch with a programme called “midnight patrol”, which aims to seek out accounts that may be kids, and then use facial... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3140508/tencent-updates-system-kicks-1784-million-kid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3140508/tencent-updates-system-kicks-1784-million-kid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jul 2021 01:00:21 +0000 Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, already the world’s largest video game company by revenue, is investing in gaming companies at a record pace this year, further padding an expansive portfolio as it seeks to ward off new competition from TikTok maker ByteDance. The Shenzhen-based tech juggernaut, which derives a third of its revenue from gaming, had invested in a record 62 gaming companies by the end of June, according to video game research firm Niko Partners. That averages out to a new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3139305/tencents-video-game-investments-pick-under-pressure-tiktok-owner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3139305/tencents-video-game-investments-pick-under-pressure-tiktok-owner?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 08:02:39 +0000 Chinese apps, led by viral short-video platform TikTok, made up five of the world’s top-10 earners of app store revenue in the first half of 2021, a sign of how digital spending habits have shifted during the Covid-19 pandemic. ByteDance-owned TikTok, whose numbers include revenue from its Chinese version Douyin, was the highest-grossing non-game app from January 1 through June 23, both in overall revenue and sales derived solely from app store payments, according to preliminary data from app... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3139155/chinese-apps-tiktok-tencent-video-iqiyi-among-worlds-top-earning-apps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3139155/chinese-apps-tiktok-tencent-video-iqiyi-among-worlds-top-earning-apps?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jun 2021 08:00:18 +0000 A children‘s rights organisation on Tuesday slapped Tencent Holdings with a public interest lawsuit, alleging that the internet giant’s blockbuster video game Honour of Kings violates the rights of minors by encouraging addictive behaviour and showing inappropriate content. The lawsuit, which was filed on the same day that China’s updated Minors Protection Law came into effect, accuses Honour of Kings of weakening the self-control of minors, showing them inappropriate content – including women’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3135647/tencent-hit-lawsuit-violating-childrens-rights-day-china-rolls-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3135647/tencent-hit-lawsuit-violating-childrens-rights-day-china-rolls-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jun 2021 10:59:52 +0000 Shenzhen is reviewing a new regulation that would explicitly forbid apps from making personalised recommendations to users under the age of 18, a first for China as Beijing continues to push Big Tech to toe the state line. The draft of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Data Regulation, first released for public consultation last summer, was updated last week, classifying data generated by minors as “sensitive” and barring companies from creating and employing user profiles based on data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3135610/shenzhen-outlaw-digital-profiling-kids-stave-big-techs-privacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3135610/shenzhen-outlaw-digital-profiling-kids-stave-big-techs-privacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:30:07 +0000 Chinese tech giant Tencent’s Timi Studios, maker of popular video games Honour of Kings and Call of Duty Mobile, generated revenue of US$10 billion last year, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The US$10 billion would make Timi the world’s largest developer, the sources say, which many industry watchers had suspected to be the case. It also provides a hefty basis for its ambitions to move beyond mobile games and compete directly with global heavyweights developing... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128102/tencents-timi-studios-maker-honour-kings-and-call-duty-mobile-pulls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128102/tencents-timi-studios-maker-honour-kings-and-call-duty-mobile-pulls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Apr 2021 07:38:06 +0000 Internet giant Tencent Holdings has removed two Burberry-designed “skins”, outfits worn by video game characters, from its popular title Honour of Kings on the grounds that the British fashion house refuses to buy cotton produced in the Xinjiang region – a move that signals China’s wider consumer boycott of foreign brands, from H&M to Nike. The action, announced on Thursday by Tencent’s Honour of Kings team in a post on microblogging platform Weibo, was taken days after the Shenzhen-based... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127030/xinjiang-cotton-controversy-spills-virtual-battle-tencent-removes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127030/xinjiang-cotton-controversy-spills-virtual-battle-tencent-removes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:00:25 +0000 In 2015 when Chinese gaming giant Tencent Holdings tabled the idea of creating a mobile version of League of Legends, it could not get the game’s creator, California-based Riot Games, to agree. At the time, mobile was not commonly seen as the platform for cutting edge, competitive games and the founders of Riot – which Tencent owned 93 per cent of at the time – did not want to water down its hottest PC game to be played on smartphones. Determined to release a League of Legends-like title for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3116088/honour-kings-became-worlds-most-popular-game-it-was-desperate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3116088/honour-kings-became-worlds-most-popular-game-it-was-desperate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2021 23:00:19 +0000 Genshin Impact soared to the top of the charts as the world’s most profitable mobile game in October, as ByteDance-owned TikTok remained the most downloaded app globally in the same month, according to a new report. Launched in September by Shanghai-based developer miHoYo, Genshin Impact jumped 78 spots to become the world’s most lucrative mobile game across both Apple’s App Store for those on the iOS platform and Google Play for Android users, app tracking firm App Annie reported on Friday. It... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3108830/chinas-genshin-impact-tiktok-top-worlds-mobile-game-app-charts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3108830/chinas-genshin-impact-tiktok-top-worlds-mobile-game-app-charts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Nov 2020 12:45:09 +0000 Chinese game Genshin Impact has earned US$245 million in its first month, ending Tencent Holdings’ dominance in mobile games, but stirring controversy over its potential addictiveness. Developed by Shanghai-based miHoYo, the anime-style action adventure racked up about US$60 million in its first week and averaged a similar amount each week since, according to data firm Sensor Tower. “Genshin Impact [has been] the biggest revenue generator globally on the App Store and Google Play since its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3107834/genshin-impact-rakes-us245-million-first-month-ending-tencents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3107834/genshin-impact-rakes-us245-million-first-month-ending-tencents?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:00:16 +0000