Chinese Games See 11% Growth in Overseas Sales in H1
Three Chinese Titles Rank in Korea’s Top 10 Mobile Game Sales
Chinese games are continuing to achieve high-quality growth, expanding their dominance in overseas markets. In the Korean mobile game market, Chinese games currently occupy 3 out of the top 10 spots in real-time sales rankings. On a monthly basis, they compete for the top three positions. This trend is seen as a result of the Chinese government's regulatory measures such as licensing restrictions on foreign games, while simultaneously fostering domestic development capabilities.
According to the "China Content Industry Trends" report published by the Korea Creative Content Agency on September 8, overseas sales of Chinese games in the first half of this year reached 9.5 billion yuan (1.8506 trillion won), marking an 11% increase compared to the same period last year. The overseas sales growth rate was sluggish at -8% in 2023, but recovered to the 4% range last year, and has now reached double digits. The United States (32%), Japan (16.2%), and Korea (7.5%) together accounted for more than half (55.6%) of overseas sales of Chinese games.
The Korea Creative Content Agency stated, "Exports of Chinese games are gradually expanding, supported by policy assistance and the rising global recognition of titles such as 'Black Myth: Wukong' and 'Honor of Kings.' The main export genres from China are strategy and shooting games, while the share of role-playing games (RPGs) is declining."
The influence of Chinese games is also evident in the domestic market. According to IGAWorks Mobile Index, as of today, three Chinese games are listed among the top 10 in both major domestic mobile app markets (Google Play Store and Apple App Store).
In particular, "WOS: Whiteout Survival" and "Last War: Survival," both strategy games developed and published by China's Century Games and FirstFun respectively, are ranked at the very top. Until Netmarble's new title "Vampyr" recently took the number one spot, these two games held the first and second positions on the Google Play Store. Their monthly performance is also strong. In July, they ranked second and third in revenue across the three major app markets (including One Store), and last month, "WOS: Whiteout Survival" overtook Lineage M (NCSoft) to claim the top spot.
A representative from a game company commented, "Chinese games are making remarkable strides in the domestic mobile game market," adding, "With a large domestic market as their foundation, they have enhanced their game graphics technology and are exerting influence in the global market."
Although China is still the largest export market for Korean games, there are predictions that the situation could be reversed. While the Chinese government has recently accelerated the approval process for foreign games, regulations have not been fully lifted, and Chinese games are also making their presence felt in the North American market. According to the "2024 Game White Paper" released by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the share of Korean game exports to China dropped from 30.2% in 2022 to 25.5% in 2023.
An industry insider noted, "Although Korea's game industry is relatively large compared to its population, exports have declined, and China's presence at international game shows is growing day by day. While it is now difficult to find Korean games in the top ranks of the North American mobile game market, Chinese games, especially in the casual genre, are gaining popularity."
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