Research and Markets: China's Video Game Industry Annual Review & Five-Year Forecast Report Reveals China's 46m Gamers Spent $1.7 Billion on Online Games in 2007, up 71% from 2006

DUBLIN, Ireland--(Business Wire)--
Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e4bb1c/chinas_video_game) has
announced the addition of the "China's Video Game Industry Annual Review &
Five-Year Forecast Report" report to their offering.

Comprehensive review of 2007 and forecast of 2008-2012 for the market size by
segment of China's video game industry. This includes data and analysis on
online games, offline games, console and handheld games and hardware, outsourced
development, regulations, sales and marketing, distribution, retail, online game
operators, gamers, and Internet cafes.

China's 46 million gamers spent $1.7 billion on online games in 2007, up 71%
from 2006. Advanced casual and casual online games made up 21% of the total, and
new flash-based casual versions of popular MMO and RTS games demonstrated the
hardcore gamers' appetite to play casual games along with subscription MMOs.
Online revenue is expected to reach $2.5 billion in 2008 and $6 billion in 2012,
for a 29% compound annual growth rate in the five-year period.

"China's spending on games is up thanks to their booming economy," said Lisa
Cosmas Hanson. "14 million hardcore Chinese gamers play online games more than
22 hours per week. They play online, LAN, and single-player offline PC games in
China's 185,000 Internet cafés and increasingly on their PCs at home, thanks to
falling prices and higher disposable income."

According to the 6th Annual Review & Forecast Report, part of an annual
subscription of reports for publishers, hardware makers, service providers, and
investors who need to understand China's fast-moving video game industry, gamers
are buying consoles with their disposable income as well. "In spite of the
regulation that has banned the sale of game consoles in China since the year
2000, gamers are flocking to stores that sell illegally imported Wii, Xbox 60,
PS3 and PS2 machines to take part in the excitement of console gaming," said
Hanson. "While these consoles are expensive for the average Chinese consumer,
gamers are willing to spend money on them to supplement their online gaming
experience, and unit sales hit 2.48 million units in 2007, up 75% over 2006."

Piracy remains an issue for packaged software via digital downloads and
counterfeit copies of games, but legitimate sales of packaged offline PC games
surged 56% in 2007, over 2006. Chinese gamers are showing that they like to buy
the legitimate copies to ensure quality and to get customer support.

The 2008 Annual Review & Forecast Report on China's Video Game Industry is a
thorough review and forecast of the 2007-2012 PC online, PC offline, console,
handheld games and hardware market. Based on 75,000 points of data in 10 Chinese
cities in March 2008, the study provides one of the largest and most
comprehensive sources of information on gamers, Internet cafés, regulations,
online game operators, games, hardware, distribution, retail, outsourced
development, and important trends in supply and demand.

Key Topics Covered:

* Executive Summary 2008
* Methodology
* Economic Assumptions 2008
* China's Economic and Market Overview
* Chinese Gamers
* Online Games and Operators
* PC Offline Games and Distribution
* Internet Cafes
* PC Hardware
* Outsourced Development of Games in China
* Piracy and Counterfeiting
* Government Regulations and Policies
* Opportunities in China's Video Game Market for 2008 and Beyond

For more information visit
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e4bb1c/chinas_video_game

Research and Markets
Laura Wood
Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
Fax from USA: 646-607-1907
Fax from rest of the world: +353-1-481-1716

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