Meet Niko Partners at ChinaJoy
Xiaofeng Zeng will attend ChinaJoy in Shanghai July 31 – August 4, 2014. Please contact Xiaofeng or Lisa to set up a meeting and learn about how Niko’s research services can help your company succeed in Asia.
Note: Beware all you ChinaJoy travelers – this is a summer of massive flight delays in and out of Pudong (and Hongqiao) airports in Shanghai due to “military exercises.”
Niko Interview on the Xbox in China
Lisa Cosmas Hanson, Managing Partner at Niko Partners, was interviewed live on July 28 (PDT) on CNBC’s Asia Squawk Box about the pricing strategy of the Xbox in China and why the launch of the console will be a long-awaited alternative for Chinese gamers. She was also interviewed by Venture Beat on the same topic.
ChinaJoy 2013 vs. ChinaJoy 2014
Gamelook compared ChinaJoy 2013 and and 2014 (being held this week in Shanghai) and reported the sharp increase in focus on mobile games compared with PC games in the past. At ChinaJoy 2013, only two mobile game companies exhibited in the four main exhibition areas – Chukong Technology and iDreamsky. These two companies brought more than 20 mobile games to the event, which accounted for 60% of total mobile games at ChinaJoy that year.
However, this year 80% of the main area exhibitors (50 in total) will display more than 100 mobile games. Halls such as N5 and E7 will be dominated by mobile companies. N3 will have Shanda, Tencent, Perfect World, Giant Interactive, NetEase, Blizzard, and other large PC online operators.
Xbox One’s Debut Price
A post on Weibo showed that the Xbox One’s debut price in China will be RMB 3499 with three free games as well as coupons for controller and other items, but then the post, from JD.com (17.6% owned by Tencent), was subsequently edited and the pricing information removed. Microsoft is anticipated to talk about more information about Xbox One such as launch price and time and games at ChinaJoy.
Rumor: Qihoo360, the9 Teaming Up
According to Marbridge Daily, there is a rumor in Sina Tech that says Qihoo 360 and the9 will establish a JV:
“An industry source has revealed that Chinese internet services provider Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) and Shanghai-based online game developer and operator The9 (Nasdaq: NCTY) will announce a joint venture on July 31. Through the partnership, 360 will obtain access to The9’s client-based gaming resources and the domestic operator license for its online third-person shooter game FireFall. The joint venture will afford The9 access to 360’s distribution channels and its mobile internet support.”
Top eSports Earning Countries in Asia
Games in Asia highlighted the Top 10 highest-earning eSports countries in Asia. Korea is #1, followed in order by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, The Philippines, and Vietnam. This is not Niko’s list, so please see the Games in Asia infographic for more data.
China Requiring Real Name Registration for App Developers
We are interested to see how China’s new requirement to developers will play out – developers are now required to register with their real names when publicly publishing mobile apps. Real name registration is also required for online video uploads but so far, we still just haven’t seen this policy ever work out well in any country, especially in China.
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