Reports

China’s mobile gaming market - including both single-player and mobile online games – boomed in 2013, with revenues of approximately RMB 13 billion (USD 2.2 billion) and a user base exceeding 350 million. Strong uptake of low-cost smartphones and 3G mobile services, the recent launch of 4G services, and a mushrooming of new mobile game developers, operators, and distribution platforms will help drive robust growth in 2014 to an estimated market size of RMB 20 billion (USD 3.3 billion).

In 2013, more than 60 domestically developed and several foreign-developed mobile games achieved monthly revenues of over RMB 10 mln, and many of these top-grossing games also reached distribution deals in overseas markets. Despite new regulations issued in Q4 2013 by China’s Ministry of Culture tightening control on mobile online game operation licenses and gambling content, China’s mobile gaming sector remained hot, with a prolific volume of both new games produced and M&A deals completed.

To help investors and game industry enterprises identify opportunities among China’s burgeoning number of mobile game titles, developers, operators, and distribution channels, Marbridge has developed the Chinese Mobile Gaming Industry Matrix. The Q4 2013 edition of the Matrix provides details on over 100 leading mobile game companies and almost 250 of the top games in Excel (read-only) format:

• Listing Status (public, to list, private)
• Location (city in which operator/developer is headquartered)
• Company Homepage URL
• Company Contact Phone Number
• Experience in Overseas Game Publishing (specific examples available for ~16% of companies)
• Games Operated/Developed (with top grossing games highlighted)
• Game Environment (Android, iOS, WP)
• Game Type
• Game Dates (expected release, beta test, commercial launch)
• Game Source (self-developed vs. licensed)
• Revenue Model (pay-to-play vs. in-game items)
• Game Operation Statistics (DAU, monthly revenue, cumulative downloads - as available)
• Game Homepage URL

The Chinese Mobile Gaming Industry Matrix also provides data on China’s top 23 mobile app/game distribution platforms, including:

• Platform Operator Name
• Investment Received (available for ~35% of platforms)
• Number of Apps Hosted (available for ~40% of platforms; dates vary)
• User Base (available for ~60% of platforms; dates vary)
• Cumulative or Daily App Downloads (available for ~60% of platforms; dates vary)
• Revenue Share Ratio with Developers (available for ~30% of platforms)
• Business Model (available for ~30% of platforms)

In addition, the matrix provides a Q4 summary of Chinese mobile gaming industry news covering:

• M&A Deals (23 items)
• Partnerships (12 items)

The Chinese Mobile Gaming Industry Matrix is available either for one-off purchase or on a subscription basis with quarterly updates.