There are 208 million PC gamers and 288 million mobile gamers in mainland China.
The ban on consoles was recently overturned along with the announcement of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, however, gamers who have wanted to play games on consoles have already had ample opportunity through widespread grey market sales.
People who prioritize Sports & Fitness as a primary activity in their lives also spend a lot of time on games, whereas people who prioritize Shopping or Movies, or KTV (karaoke) are less likely to spend time on games.
“Chinese gamers are no longer defined as 18-24 year old males competitively playing MMOGs with their friends, though that group remains important,” said Kevin Hause, senior partner of Niko Partners. “We now observe on either side of that group that kids engage with simple mobile games and middle-aged gamers continue to play MMORPGs and multiple mobile games.”
Niko Partners is the leader in Asian Games Market Intelligence, specializing in the Chinese and Southeast Asian game markets. Founded in 2002 and in its 11th year of detailed analysis on the Chinese market, the firm conducts syndicated and custom research studies on Chinese gamers, Southeast Asian gamers, online games, offline games, consoles, handhelds, regulatory issues, piracy, development, online operators, distribution, and retail. Niko Partners also offers consulting services including focus groups, partnership selection, market opportunity analysis, custom surveys in cities throughout China and the Asia-Pacific region and customized data analysis. The goal of the research and strategic advisory services is to help understand the market, strategically enter or expand market share, and continue to profitably grow within China and Southeast Asia’s impressive markets.
