China remains biggest player in gaming industry

China remains the biggest player in the gaming industry with annual real sales revenue of over 200 billion yuan (30.9 billion US dollars) in 2017, 500 million US dollars more than the second-ranked United States, according to a report on China games industry last year.

A Chinese mobile game player plays "Evangelion: Dawn Broken" on his smartphone in Ji'nan city, Shandong province, 26 January 2018. [Photo: IC]

Mobile games revenue reached 116 billion yuan, accounting for 57% of the total, while the web game industry plunged in 2017, taking up only 7.6% in total.

Domestically made games have become a driving force in the going-global campaign, gaining an annual revenue of 8.2 billion US dollars last year, 118 times greater than a decade ago.

Chinese players' enthusiasm for games has also promoted the booming industry. By the end of last year, 185 game companies had issued an IPO.

But along with the rapid development of the gaming industry, many parents have complained that their children spend too much time on online games.

Parental intervention and guidance is important, so you can control playing time and what kind of games your children can play, said Xiao Hong, CEO of Perfect World, a leading culture and entertainment group in China.

Hong Kong film director Stanley Tong suggested that game producers add knowledge and culture to games so that children can learn something through playing.

Wang Ji, chairman of online games developer and operator Shengda Games, said that government authorities and game operators should strengthen supervision and ensure real-name registration to help protect youth.