Tencent shares dive after Chinese media brand online games ‘spiritual opium’


Tencent joined rivals NetEase Inc and XD Inc in an abrupt selloff in early Hong Kong trading after an outlet run by the Xinhua News Agency published a blistering critique of the gaming industry. — Reuters

Tencent Holdings Ltd dived as much as 10% on Aug 3 after an offshoot of China’s official news agency decried the “spiritual opium” and “electronic drugs” of games, stoking fears Beijing will next set its sights on online entertainment.

The social media giant joined rivals NetEase Inc and XD Inc in an abrupt selloff in early Hong Kong trading after an outlet run by the Xinhua News Agency published a blistering critique of the gaming industry. The Economic Information Daily cited a student as saying some schoolmates played Tencent’s Honor Of Kings – one of its most popular titles – eight hours a day and called for stricter controls over time spent on games.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

Televisa to merge Sky, cable 'as soon as possible'
EU's Vestager meets French tech firm Mistral AI amid competition concerns
Shein falls under tough EU online content rules as user numbers jump
Google parent Alphabet reclaims spot in $2 trillion valuation club
India's HCLTech misses Q4 revenue estimates
Chipmaker Intel falls as AI competition hurts forecast
Russia's Yandex reports Q1 revenue rise as market awaits spin-off news
Japan to levy big fines with new app rules
Inside Big Tech’s underground race to buy AI training data
Facebook scams demand stricter online rules, Japan lawmaker says

Others Also Read