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Mobile gaming

Mobile gaming
Capable of rendering console-quality graphics and with access to a library of hundreds of thousands of games from around the world, mobile gaming is taking over. US gamers alone spent more than US$2.6 billion on smartphone games and in-app downloads in 2014.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket was released on October 30 on Apple and Google app stores. Photo: Youtube/PokemonCoJp
Apps

New Pokémon mobile game downloaded over 60 million times in 6 weeks

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket ranks second among mobile games measured by their first-month revenue, surpassed only by 2016’s Pokémon Go.

Video gaming

China’s video gaming revenue hits new high in 2024 on back of hit titles

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Video gaming

Black Myth: Wukong inspires Chinese video game studios to go overseas

Video gaming

China’s esports industry returns to growth in 2024 as Tencent, NetEase expand overseas

The growth is testament to how China’s esports industry has become a booming business, with local clubs making an impact on the global arena.

An exhibition match between a South Korean esports team and Hong Kong at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong, September 22, 2024. Photo: Connor Mycroft
Alibaba

Alibaba entertainment group head regrets belittling video-gaming unit, Cantonese

Alibaba’s Fan Luyuan admitted he was ‘out of line’ with controversial remarks that he said during a meeting with employees of Lingxi Games.

Hong Kong economy

Thousands flock to Hong Kong for 2-day ‘Pokemon Go City Safari’ event

Gamers descend on six locations to catch an assortment of virtual creatures at various landmarks and hidden gems.

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Video gaming

NetEase cuts jobs in Shenzhen as first-person shooting game ‘underperforms’

The lay-offs at NetEase’s offices in the southern tech hub are said to affect employees involved in mobile game Hyper Front.

The latest job cuts at NetEase reflect ongoing challenges faced by China’s video gaming industry amid slow consumer spending at home and macroeconomic headwinds. Photo: Shutterstock
Video gaming

Chinese Nintendo Switch users in limbo as Tencent ends console’s online support

Online game sales for the Chinese Nintendo Switch will cease on March 31, 2026, while other related services will end weeks later on May 15.

SCMP Highlights

Recap | China’s tech giants defy economic woes: 6 latest earnings reports

How have some of China’s biggest tech companies fared in their third-quarter earnings revelations? Find out in some of our latest stories.

China technology

Bilibili achieves quarterly profitability for first time

The Shanghai-based company recorded an adjusted net profit of 235.9 million yuan (US$33.6 million) during the third quarter.

The Bilibili logo is displayed on a smartphone screen in front of the company’s website. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Tencent

Tencent beats estimates with 47% profit jump, driven by video gaming

Video gaming sales, traditionally Tencent’s strongest revenue driver, grew 14% in the domestic market.

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The Tencent headquarters in Shenzhen, China’s southern Guangdong province. Photo: AFP
Wellness

Can playing video games be good for your child? An expert’s view

Learn what sorts of game preschoolers can play, which genres are off-limits, what gaming addiction looks like and what games can teach kids.

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Hong Kong society

How Hong Kong’s teen Pokemon Go star teamed up with 75-year-old doctor

Cheng Yip-kai became first Hongkonger to be crowned Pokemon Go world champion in August and he says he has renowned doctor to thank.

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Video gaming

China approves 128 titles in October, with Tencent the big winner

Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Supercell’s Squad Busters, both distributed in China by Tencent, were approved by the gaming regulator.

A boy plays the video game Black Myth: Wukong in a Sony store in Shanghai on August 26. Photo: EPA-EFE
Video gaming

Dragon Ball game, anime series launches continue despite death of creator

The Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero video game and anime Dragon Ball Daima are being launched on the franchise’s 40th anniversary.

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People visit the Dragon Ball Daimatsuri event, to mark the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise, at the Tokyo Big Sight, in Tokyo, Japan, on October 6, 2024. Photo: AFP
Video gaming

China approves 109 video games in September as Wukong fever remains high

China’s video game regulator has approved an average of 107 titles per month this year, as gamers question whether Black Myth: Wukong marks a turning point.

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American cinema

The Sims movie could be as big as Barbie, Electronic Arts VP says

Details on the film are scarce, although EA says it will be ‘very much rooted’ in the games’ universe, and feature plenty of ‘Sims lore’.

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Video gaming

Opinion | Will China’s latest crypto crackdown stifle its gaming industry?

New legal guidelines that classify cryptocurrency transactions as money laundering put digital assets used in popular games in a grey area.

An advertisement for the hugely popular Chinese role-playing video game, Black Myth: Wukong, is seen at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on September 3. Photo: Bloomberg
Sex and relationships

A real boyfriend? No thank you, say Chinese women, we prefer female cosplayers

Hand-holding, hotpot and a romantic walk with your man. In China, it’s a perfect date – as long as the man in question is a female cosplayer

Diplomacy

Opinion | The world is getting smaller, at least culturally

Whether it’s Chinese gaming or K-pop, cultural exchanges can be more effective than economic engagement in building international trust

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Video gaming

China approves 117 video games, the most in 2024, amid Black Myth: Wukong mania

The National Press and Publication Administration has licensed a total of 850 domestic titles in the first eight months of this year, compared with 609 in the same period in 2023.

People walk past a large screen advertising China’s latest blockbuster video game, Black Myth: Wukong, outside a commercial office building in Beijing on August 27, 2024. Photo: AP
Video gaming

Tencent, NetEase rethink Japan investments as Wukong shines

Chinese gaming giants are reconsidering their spending in Japanese studios amid a revival in the Chinese market, led by the summer hit Black Myth: Wukong.

An advertisement for the Chinese-made video game Black Myth: Wukong in a Sony store in Shanghai. Photo: EPA-EFE
Luxury & Gaming

Black Myth: Wukong fans rush to fill China’s game-enabled hotels

Stay-and-play getaways in rooms with high-powered PCs prove popular among fans who lack their own hardware or just want to enjoy the game in a comfortable setting with friends.

Women and gender

Opinion | Why Black Myth: Wukong’s success should spark reflection on sexism in gaming

Sexually explicit comments by the CEO of the studio that developed the game underscore a wider problem in the gaming industry.

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Asia travel

Viral TikTok ‘Temple Run’ videos put Cambodia’s Angkor Wat at risk

Conservationists are aghast at viral videos of tourists running around Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube – but could they boost the country’s tourism?

A Facebook user’s post on a temple run at Angkor Wat. Credit Facebook
China technology

My Take | China’s video gaming industry needs more like Black Myth: Wukong

Wukong’s commercial and political success in China has boosted the country’s struggling video gaming industry.

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A poster of the video game Black Myth: Wukong seen in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province. Photo: Xinhua
Video gaming

No ‘feminist propaganda’? Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong’s censorship row

Gamers were also warned against any reference to ‘isolation’ or ‘quarantine’ – likely a reference to China’s pandemic-era policies that sparked civil unrest.

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Video gaming

Wukong video game’s low-profile developer now in the spotlight

A former Tencent game designer started Game Science a decade ago with a dream of creating a Chinese AAA title, which has now come true.

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