Video game companies in China are closing up shop in droves

The Chinese government hasn’t allowed any new games to be released since July 2021. — AFP Relaxnews

Since July 2021, the Chinese Communist Party has not allowed any video games to be released on its territory. To this decision various other gaming restrictions were enacted in the country related to minors’ playing time. As a consequence that can be traced to these moves, some 14,000 video game companies have closed up shop in China. It’s a situation that is causing worry among game publishers, as China is the world’s largest market in terms of revenue generated.

Game over in China? Since the end of July 2021, China has not approved any new video game titles. Indeed, a Chinese law requires each game intended to be sold in Chinese territory to obtain the authorisation of the Communist Party, whether it is a game for mobile, PC or console.