The gaming industry is a field full of innovation and change, with new trends and challenges emerging every year. In 2023, the gaming industry has undergone some important changes and some interesting phenomena. This article will evaluate the development of the gaming industry in 2023 from the following four aspects:
1. Market size and revenue
According to the "2023 China Game Industry Trend and Potential Analysis Report" released by Gamma Data, the actual sales revenue of China's game market in 2023 will be 2968700 million yuan, down 28%。This is the first time in nearly a decade that the Chinese gaming market has experienced a decline in revenue, which is mainly affected by the following factors:
New product production slowed. In 2023, the number of new products from leading game companies will decrease by 418%, resulting in a lack of innovation and dynamism in the market. At the same time, the difficulty of innovating new products has also increased, and it is necessary to find a balance in terms of gameplay, themes, and business models to meet the needs and expectations of users.
Financing is becoming more difficult. In 2023, the number of financing events for Chinese game companies will decrease by 50% year-on-year, and the investment market's confidence in the game industry will decline. Affected by factors such as declining market revenue, policy supervision, and fierce competition, the operating pressure of game companies has increased, and the liquidity of funds has decreased.
The overall time spent at home has declined. In 2023, due to the impact of epidemic prevention and control and economic recovery, users will spend less time at home, and the time and willingness to spend games will also decrease accordingly. At the same time, users' payment behavior is also more concentrated in a few high-quality products, resulting in uneven distribution of market revenue.
Despite this, the Chinese game market still has certain development potential and space, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
The number of users is growing steadily. In 2023, the number of game users in China will reach 75.4 billion, up 32%。Among them, the scale of mobile game users reached 69.7 billion, up 35%。The steady growth of the user scale provides basic support for the game market.
The user's ability to pay has been improved. In 2023, the average monthly payment amount per Chinese gaming user is 289 yuan, an increase of 56%。Among them, the average monthly payment amount per mobile game user is 267 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 61%。The improvement of users' ability to pay provides incremental space for the game market.
The appeal of boutique games has increased. In 2023, a number of high-quality games have appeared in the Chinese game market, such as "Genshin Impact", "Peace Elite", "Honor of Kings", etc., which have not only achieved excellent results in China, but also demonstrated strong competitiveness in overseas markets. The emergence of high-quality games has improved the gaming experience and satisfaction of users, and also provided innovation and vitality for the game market.
2. Industry trends and changes
In 2023, the game industry will show trends and changes in the following four aspects in the process of iteration and innovation:
Develop diversified monetization and business models. In 2023, the game industry has diversified its explorations and attempts in monetization and business models, such as hybrid monetization, industry chain expansion, cross-platform games, and game+. These explorations and attempts are aimed at meeting the payment needs and value cognition of users of different types and levels, improving users' willingness and level of payment, increasing the revenue and channels of the game, and expanding the influence and value of the game.
Find new ways to grow and nurture your users. In 2023, the game industry will also explore and try new ways in terms of user acquisition, retention, and reshoring, such as using high-quality products, using game technology, and using social networking**. These explorations and attempts aim to improve users' loyalty and favorability to the game, increase users' playing time and frequency, build users' community and reputation, and enhance users' life cycle and value.
Use high-quality products to drive changes in user consumption behavior. In 2023, the game industry will also make new improvements and breakthroughs in product quality and depth, such as "Genshin Impact", "Peace Elite", "Honor of Kings", etc. These high-quality products not only bring users an immersive game experience in terms of gameplay, picture, sound effect, plot, etc., but also provide users with rich game content in terms of content, services, activities, etc., guide users to make more payment behaviors, and change users' consumption habits and patterns.
With the help of game technology, we can drive product experience upgrades and breakthrough development. In 2023, the game industry will also make new explorations and attempts in the application and innovation of game technology, such as game engines, game AI, cloud gaming, metaverse, etc. These game technologies not only provide higher technical support and guarantee for game products, improve users' game experience and feelings, but also provide more innovation space and possibilities for game products, and promote the cross-border integration and wall-breaking development of game products.
3. Policy environment and impact
In 2023, the policy environment of the game industry has also undergone some changes, mainly in the following two aspects:
Strengthen the protection and guidance of minors. In 2023, the state has introduced a series of policies and measures aimed at protecting the physical and mental health of minors, guiding minors to arrange their gaming time reasonably, and cultivating good gaming habits among minors. These policies and measures include: restricting minors' gaming time and spending quotas, implementing real-name authentication and anti-addiction systems, strengthening the review and supervision of game content, and promoting game companies to fulfill their social responsibilities. These policies and measures have had a certain impact on the development of the game industry, such as reducing the size and revenue of the game market, increasing the costs and risks of game enterprises, and raising the entry threshold and standards of game products.
Support the innovation and development of the gaming industry. In 2023, the state has also issued a series of policies and measures aimed at supporting the innovation and development of the game industry, such as encouraging game companies to expand overseas markets, optimizing the approval process for game version numbers, increasing support for game technology research and development, and promoting the integration of games with other industries. These policies and measures have played a certain role in promoting the development of the game industry, such as improving the competitiveness and influence of the game market, reducing the market barriers and risks of game products, increasing the innovation power and space of game products, and expanding the application scenarios and value of game products.
Fourth, social effects and evaluation
In 2023, the social effects and evaluation of the game industry will also show some new characteristics and changes, which are mainly reflected in the following two aspects:
Enhance the cultural attributes and social value of the game. In 2023, the game industry will pay more attention to the cultural attributes and social values of games in the creation and dissemination of game content, such as promoting Chinese culture, spreading positive energy, reflecting social reality, and paying attention to public welfare. These game contents not only enrich the user's game experience and feelings, but also enhance the cultural connotation and social significance of the game, enhance the social identity and influence of the game, and improve the social image and evaluation of the game. Enhance the educational and entertaining effects of the game. In 2023, the game industry will pay more attention to the educational functions and entertainment effects of games in the design and innovation of game forms, such as integrating educational elements, providing entertainment services, increasing interactive experiences, and enriching entertainment content. These game forms not only meet the needs of users for learning and entertainment, but also enhance the educational role and entertainment effect of games, improve users' interest and happiness in games, and promote users' personal growth and social communication.
In 2023, the game industry has undergone some important changes in terms of market size, industry trends, policy environment, social effects, etc., and has also shown some interesting phenomena. These changes and phenomena not only reflect the development status and problems of the game industry, but also indicate the development potential and direction of the game industry. In the future, the game industry still needs to continue to innovate and change to adapt to market changes and user needs, so as to improve the quality and value of games and achieve long-term and sustainable development of games. Turn the page in 2023