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The Japanese Market has Become the Major Warzone for Chinese Video Games

By Xueyang
Jun. 27, 2022 updated 05:53

Due to tightening domestic policies, Chinese game developers are struggling to find success in publishing new games in the domestic market, and gearing up their overseas effort significantly in the past several months.

Among all destinations, Japan might be the most ideal choice. While the reason behind this is yet to be concluded, the objective performance is clear: as of June 11, there are more than thirty Chinese games successfully shortlisted on Japan’s Best Selling - Top 100 list.

Chinese games on Japan’s Top 100 list, June 11. Games with blue rectangles are co-developed with Chinese studios.Chinese games on Japan’s Top 100 list, June 11. Games with blue rectangles are co-developed with Chinese studios.

Meanwhile, the quality of Chinese games has also been drastically improved, with solid proof from the Japanese market. Three games are currently shortlisted in the Top 10 category. In addition, there are a bigger number of around 15 games with the potential to be ontop of the list.

However, publishing games overseas is getting harder for Chinese game developers with time. Owing to the withering domestic market, more and more Chinese game developers are going hammer on overseas markets, which leads to predictable tremendous competition. In the foreseeable future, Chinese video games will compete fiercely with their siblings not only in the Japanese market but also on an international level.