The highly anticipated China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (ChinaJoy) commenced in Shanghai today, attracting a gathering of government regulators, business executives, and researchers. The main forum focused on exploring the remarkable success of China's gaming industry in the first half of the year.

According to the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association (CADPA), China's gamer base achieved a record-breaking 668 million users in the first half of 2023. This means that nearly one in two people across the nation are actively engaged in gaming.

Despite the massive gamer base, revenue for the same period totaled 144.3 billion yuan ($20 billion), indicating a 2.39% decline compared to H1 2022. While the Chinese market is gradually recovering from the turbulence of 2022, the revenue growth has been relatively slow. One possible factor contributing to this slowdown is the government's restrictions on playtime among young players.

However, there is optimism on the horizon. CADPA's vice director general, Zhang Yijun, mentioned that the market is showing signs of warming up, with Q2 revenue witnessing a 22% quarter-on-quarter growth. Yijun also predicts further growth in the gaming market during the second half of the year.

The gaming industry in Shanghai has been particularly resilient, boasting one out of every four mobile games with monthly revenue surpassing 10 million yuan ($1.4 million), as stated by the Shanghai Publicity Department vice director.

A comprehensive report on China's gaming performance during the first half of 2023 will be released during the conference.

Despite the challenges faced in the previous year, China has consistently held its position as the world's largest mobile gaming market. The current data signals a promising period of strong recovery ahead for the Chinese gaming industry.

Source: Lewis Rees, Staff Writer at PocketGamer