11-11-2018, 03:11 AM
Breaking Into The Chinese Games Market Won’t Be Easy, Says Nintendo
<div><div class="media_block"><a href="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/large.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
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<div class="img"><a title="Chinese gaming" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/chinese-gaming.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/chinese-gaming.900x.jpg" alt="Chinese gaming" /></a><span class="image-credit" title="Image Credit">LIU JIN / AFP / Getty Images</span></div>
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<p>Nintendo’s recent investor’s Q&A document is now live in <a class="external" href="https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2018/181109e.pdf">English</a>, and a few little pieces of info that weren’t covered in the translation of the Japanese version have now come to light – one of which involves the company’s plans to expand into China.</p>
<p>Nintendo has recently made deals with firms like Nvidia to allow certain key Nintendo titles to be ported to the <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/06/just_how_good_is_the_nvidia_shield_wii_emulator_and_what_does_it_mean_for_switch_owners">Shield TV</a> system – which shares the same basic architecture as the Switch – but outside of this, the company appears to be rather cautious when it comes to cracking this huge market.</p>
<p>When pressed on the topic, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I cannot say anything new at this time about our plans to start our business in China with Nintendo Switch or smart-device applications. We are continuing to look into a business opportunity in China, but the reality is that there are a variety of issues that give us the impression that it will not be easy to do. And although the market for games in China is incredibly huge, the market for dedicated platforms is small, so even if we were to enter into China, the challenges we would face there certainly would not be simple ones. Even so, I would very much like to try and see how receptive the Chinese market would be to Nintendo IP.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The amazing potential of the Chinese market is something the entire games industry seems focused on tapping these days, but as Furukawa says, there are notable roadblocks which have to be overcome before the company can truly capitalise on this massive – and game-crazy – audience. The 14-year ban on games console was lifted in 2015, but the focus in the region remains on smartphone and PC-based online games, and consoles have yet to make the same impact they have in other parts of the world.</p>
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<div><div class="media_block"><a href="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/large.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
<aside class="picture strip">
<div class="img"><a title="Chinese gaming" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/chinese-gaming.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/c1bbe5edaa8be/chinese-gaming.900x.jpg" alt="Chinese gaming" /></a><span class="image-credit" title="Image Credit">LIU JIN / AFP / Getty Images</span></div>
</aside>
<p>Nintendo’s recent investor’s Q&A document is now live in <a class="external" href="https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2018/181109e.pdf">English</a>, and a few little pieces of info that weren’t covered in the translation of the Japanese version have now come to light – one of which involves the company’s plans to expand into China.</p>
<p>Nintendo has recently made deals with firms like Nvidia to allow certain key Nintendo titles to be ported to the <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/06/just_how_good_is_the_nvidia_shield_wii_emulator_and_what_does_it_mean_for_switch_owners">Shield TV</a> system – which shares the same basic architecture as the Switch – but outside of this, the company appears to be rather cautious when it comes to cracking this huge market.</p>
<p>When pressed on the topic, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I cannot say anything new at this time about our plans to start our business in China with Nintendo Switch or smart-device applications. We are continuing to look into a business opportunity in China, but the reality is that there are a variety of issues that give us the impression that it will not be easy to do. And although the market for games in China is incredibly huge, the market for dedicated platforms is small, so even if we were to enter into China, the challenges we would face there certainly would not be simple ones. Even so, I would very much like to try and see how receptive the Chinese market would be to Nintendo IP.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The amazing potential of the Chinese market is something the entire games industry seems focused on tapping these days, but as Furukawa says, there are notable roadblocks which have to be overcome before the company can truly capitalise on this massive – and game-crazy – audience. The 14-year ban on games console was lifted in 2015, but the focus in the region remains on smartphone and PC-based online games, and consoles have yet to make the same impact they have in other parts of the world.</p>
</div>