Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan prepares gaming foray despite government concerns about youth addiction
- Meituan co-founder Wang Huiwen said in a WeChat posting that he’s ‘just giving it a try, don’t overthink about it’
China’s food delivery giant Meituan Dianping is hiring game developers in a sign that the US$30 billion company is preparing to make a foray into video gaming, even as the government seeks to limit the damage that unchecked gaming can have on the mental and physical health of the country’s youth.
The Beijing-based firm on Monday posted several game-related job ads on Chinese resume sites, with positions ranging from coders to art designers to producers. On liepin.com, one job opening said Meituan is offering an annual salary of as much as 530,000 yuan (US$78,300) for a game producer with at least five years of experience.
Wang Huiwen, Meituan’s co-founder and senior vice-president, confirmed the move, though he also sought to downplay it.
“I’m just giving it a try, don’t overthink it,” he said in a WeChat posting. Meituan declined to comment on the hiring beyond Wang’s remarks.
The gaming industry in China has sought to assuage government concerns about youth addiction, with market-share leader Tencent introducing curbs on playing time for vulnerable groups. Mobile gaming has been blamed by the government for contributing to youth myopia while lawmakers have accused gaming companies of peddling products that are as addictive and enfeebling as opium.