China on Wednesday granted, for the first time in 18 months, licenses to foreign video games, auguring a certain relaxation in a sector once battered by Beijing.
Video games, which represent an important financial windfall in China, were last year in the crosshairs of the authorities for their addictive side among the youngest.
In a context of recovery, the authorities had frozen for nine months any new license, mandatory to market a game on the largest world market.
The granting of licenses had finally resumed last April, but no foreign video game had until then been able to obtain the precious sesame.
On Wednesday, 44 overseas games got the green light for marketing, the press and publications administration said.
The Japanese Nintendo thus obtains a license for its game “Pokémon Unite”.
The last authorization in China for a foreign game was in June 2021.
China generally only endorses foreign games a few times a year, unlike a monthly practice for local games.
At the same time, 84 Chinese games have also obtained authorization.
This is a “good start” for a sector tested by regulatory tightening, said Vincent Teng, head of the firm Gamma Data specialist in video games.
The decision to allow more foreign games will boost ‘creativity’ and ‘improve the quality [générale] games” in China, judged Mr. Teng with Agence France-Presse.
In November, authorities granted Chinese heavyweight Tencent its first license in a year and a half.
The decision had sent a positive signal to the markets, which had seen a relaxation of the authorities with regard to this very lucrative sector.
Beijing’s takeover of the sector was notably marked by drastic restrictions imposed on players under the age of 18.
Their online gaming time is now limited to three hours per week, which weighs heavily on the profitability of companies in the sector.