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With 89 new video game licenses in June, and one for NetEase, China’s approved titles this year surpass 2022’s total
- More than 85 domestic games have been approved each month in 2023, bringing the year’s total to more than 500
- Beijing has kept a steady pace of approvals this year as the world’s largest video game market looks to get back on track after a 2021-2022 crackdown
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Chinese regulators have approved 89 new video games for sale in China for June, covering titles from major players – including Youzu Interactive and NetEase – as the world’s largest gaming market maintains momentum with new licenses.
The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), the agency responsible for licensing video games in China, published its latest list of approvals on Wednesday. It was the largest batch this year, by a single title. The numbers have been closely watched since an eight-month licensing freeze ended in April 2022.
Tencent Holdings, operator of the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, was absent from the list this month. The company received one new license last month after a string of approvals earlier this year.
However, China’s second-largest video gaming company made the cut again this month, with NetEase’s Yanyun Sixteen Sounds getting a license for mobile and personal computers. The Hangzhou-based company had a strong start to the year, with first-quarter net profits surging 53.7 per cent year on year to 6.8 billion yuan (US$983.6 million).
Another title in the latest batch was Crimson Echo, a mobile game by Shanghai-based Youzu Interactive, also known as Yoozoo. A computer game called Island and Factory, from Shenzhen Zhongqingbao Interactive Network, was the only game approved that was not accessible on mobile.
The latest batch of games is in line with the steady pace of approvals this year. More than 85 games have been approved each month in 2023, rising from just a few dozen right after the NPPA resumed the monthly publication of the license list last year.
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