Game host ban on domestic game developers is a good news

Absrtact: April 21, the Shanghai municipal government promulgated the "China (Shanghai) free Trade Zone cultural market opening Project rules" (hereinafter referred to as the "rules"), the FTA allows foreign enterprises to engage in game entertainment equipment production and sales, through cultural authorities

April 21, the Shanghai municipal government promulgated the "China (Shanghai) free Trade Zone cultural market opening of the Project Rules" (hereinafter referred to as the "rules"), the FTA allows foreign enterprises to engage in game entertainment equipment production and sales, through the cultural Authority content review equipment will be allowed in the domestic market.

In contrast to last September, the State Council issued a general plan for the Shanghai FTA, which made the release of the game-ban a certainty, the first rule document issued following the announcement by the State Council earlier this year that it would lift the ban on gaming machines implemented since June 2000. means that the domestic game of 13 years of production and sales ban officially lifted.

News of the lifting of the game has been circulating in the industry since the establishment of the Shanghai FTA last year, during which many manufacturers have moved into the market, and the home entertainment center is one of the hottest concepts at the moment.

The last century 80 's game host into the Chinese market, has been whenever generation memories. But the more than 10-year ban has left the market in a completely blank phase, which in theory seems like a blue sea.

But on the other hand, in addition to host game content in the domestic shortage, the Chinese game industry more than 10 years of development has formed the end of the tour, page and mobile game of the three world. As to whether the host game market can be nurtured again, many industry insiders told the 21st century economic reporter that there still needs to be a big question mark.

Game makers are in

June 2000, the State Council forwarded the Ministry of Culture, such as 7 of the "on the development of electronic game management site special Management advice", began to target the domestic game machine market governance work. In the above views, including the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Information Industry (Ministry of Technology predecessor), including the 7 departments of the provisions "from the date of publication of this opinion, for domestic video game equipment and its 0, accessories production, sales stop." Any enterprise or individual may no longer engage in the production and sales activities of video game equipment and its 0, accessories for domestic.

Since then, the game host in the domestic basically disappeared, even though Sony through a number of means to win, but in this market, the market appears in the main game products mainly parallel imports. Because these consoles are "contraband" in the country, a game of parallel operators told reporters that the game host in the domestic sales have been relatively general, and because the foreign current game consoles are basically "hardware loss, software to make money" model, some of the real game enthusiasts to buy foreign game consoles.

The current game host market three major manufacturers are Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo three companies. A recent news that the Oriental Pearl is in consultation with Sony, the plan to introduce products including Sony PS4 Game, the joint venture company is expected to be set up in the Shanghai FTA in August. But April 25, Sony China to the 21st century economic reporter said that there is no information related to the game console can be disclosed.

As far as the domestic market is concerned, Sony has remained "on the sidelines", and Microsoft's moves have been radical, relative to the quiet of Nintendo.

On the evening of September 23 last year, the company announced a partnership with Microsoft and agreed to jointly fund 79 million dollars to form a joint venture. Among them, hundred-Vision shares 51%, Microsoft accounted for 49% of shares. The cooperation between the two sides includes the production and sale of terminal equipment such as game consoles and related games and entertainment software. By providing Xbox-related technology, the company offers OTT licences and some film and television resources to jointly launch the new brand of home game terminal products. It is reported that the company will release Microsoft's Xbox One game host new product in May this year.

It is understood that the rules required, the content of the game, the game method explanation should use our country common language text, this means the game host wants to be in the domestic market really to make a difference, must have with the game machine match the Chinese game, but at present game host's game, Chinese class's game is very few, mostly is in English, Japanese and so on foreign language mainly According to the 21st century economic reporter learned that the current Microsoft is also with the domestic game manufacturers snails and other contacts, April 21, the snail in contact with Microsoft, the company showed Microsoft a variety of independent research and development of the game, and the game related to the relevant technology to explain and display.

According to a report released last September by Market Research Institute Newzoo, Global gaming revenues were $70.4 billion in 2013, with game consoles earning 30.6 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 43% of the market. And Eric Consulting data, the 2013 Chinese network game market size is 89.16 billion yuan, of which the client online games, page tour and mobile game accounted for 65.5%, 17.8%, 16.7% respectively. Can say, relative to the global market host game is larger than the market pattern of online games, the domestic host game market is almost a blank.

It is noteworthy that according to the data of the iris consultation, the market share of the client net is shrinking gradually, the recent perfect World fund buys the grand game about 6% shares, the game industry observer Zheng to the 21st century Economic report reporter said, the end tour manufacturer may open the group to warm the prologue, but the end swims the market has stabilized, The lifting of the game will also give the small and medium-sized end of the company the opportunity to expand new business.

It is understood that the domestic game manufacturers, began in the host game business layout is the perfect world. Since the fourth quarter of last year, the perfect world has acquired the video game bus, A9VG, Cngba and other host games site community, as well as hobo stars, 3DM and other stand-alone game site community.

The perfect world to reporters that the end of last year, in the perfect world within a new host game business unit, called "Console game Distribution Department", the internal redeployment of some other business unit staff to join, the first quarter has been basically completed.

and other manufacturers have entered the market. Last August, Huawei announced the launch of its home gaming machine Tron, and reached a strategic partnership with the perfect World at its communications show in Barcelona this February. At present, Tron has completed the "Ice Fire Destruction God", "touch" and other games access.

In addition, TV makers have opted to work with internet companies to launch their own smart TVs, which load up on gaming, and internet companies have been rolling out their own Internet boxes to compete for access to living room entertainment. The competition in the living room market is very fierce.

How does the game content break through?

"For the real game players, the current domestic market, the emergence of smart TV, game boxes, etc. in the game experience is too bad, these are not a host game." "The above-mentioned game of parallel operators told reporters that for these manufacturers, the concept of speculation is far more than the user's needs to launch products, and the domestic smart TV, game boxes and other equipment, the game is very scarce."

The lifting of the game, the game is also very important content, but because of the lack of hardware market, in addition to some foreign host game manufacturers to outsource the products of the company, there is little host game development team.

In fact, the host game product configuration similar to PC stand-alone game, foreign host game developers in the game machine and PC on the same line, most of the host game is not a strong network of games, game consoles are mainly played by the role of the interactive platform and launch platform, through the network online to verify whether piracy.

Zheng told reporters that before the domestic single game market 70% is pirated, host game has a relatively strict mechanism to circumvent piracy, game ban may be the Chinese game to improve product quality breakthrough.

In fact, China's stand-alone era is a lot of game players miss the era, the middle of the 90 's mid-term, the domestic emergence of similar "Chinese Paladin" and other classic games, until 2000, the domestic host game appeared for a period of prosperity.

Although at that time these stand-alone game product screen and the current online games screen has a certain gap, but in the core play is no less than the current game products. "Zheng said that these years," the Chinese Paladin "," Gujian Tan "and other stand-alone game when the introduction of why there are millions other sales, because there are many users in the pursuit of that era of products.

And then many game manufacturers in order to be able to gain revenue in the game, many of the original stand-alone manufacturers to transform the development of online games, the current domestic game market is mainly popular in the networked products.

A senior game player told reporters, many online games in order to generate revenue, in the game will be implanted in the business model, although the games have interactive advantages, but in his view, the core play, plot show and other parts, online games can not match the single game. "Single game developed without strong networking games so troublesome, strong networking games need real-time online so many people, sometimes bugs appear, stand-alone games do not need this consideration, so the content is richer." ”

"The lifting of the game host is a good news for domestic game developers." "Guangzhou AI Travel Information Technology President Peng in an interview with the 21st century Economic report, said.

It is understood that recently Ai Yuan also in the domestic search for host game development team, currently in the development of two or three host games. "When news of the release of the game was launched, some development teams found us and wanted us to invest in them to develop host games," he said. "Host games need to be set by European and American manufacturers, but this threshold is not a problem for the domestic development team," Peng said.

Host game development team leader Zhu Su (a pseudonym) to the 21st century economic reporter said that the host game is still on the sidelines. "including the standards between hardware and software, many of the standards are not fully developed, and the host's real time to market is also uncertain." The head of the game development team said that a lot of games are adults, not suitable for minors, if there is no grading system to the game development team a large limit.

Zhu Su also said that if the licensing of foreign games is too strict, the game host market product richness is far from enough, if there is no rich high-quality products, this is not conducive to the popularity of game consoles, and the market share of the game machine will affect the participation of domestic game developers. "Coupled with China's national conditions, many parents can not understand children play games, let alone in the living room to play games." Zhu Su said, more than 10 years of gap, people can accept the game, may also need a certain amount of time to adapt.