Game sales in China surge 22.3 per cent in first half of 2020 amid coronavirus pandemic
- Sales of games in China surged to US$19.9 billion in the first half the year, 22.3 per cent higher than the same period last year
- Home-grown games continue to dominate the market, but are seeing faster growth overseas as China’s market gets saturated
Sales of games in China surged to 139.4 billion yuan (US$19.9 billion) from January to June, 22.3 per cent higher than the same period last year, according to the China Game Industry Report by the government-backed China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association (CAVCA).
Home-grown games continued to dominate the market, accounting for about 86 per cent of total game sales – 120.1 billion yuan – from January to June, while mobile games were the most popular format making up 75 per cent of total sales, the report said.
“The coronavirus epidemic has had a huge impact on economic and social development, and brought many changes to people's work, life and consumption habits,” said CAVCA director Sun Shoushan on Thursday, launching the report at the China Digital Entertainment Congress (CDEC) in Shanghai.
The gaming industry has been one of the major beneficiaries of the stay-at-home orders issued globally during the Covid-19 pandemic, when millions of people have turned to online consumption, online entertainment and working from home.