Omdia Analysis: Just how important is intellectual property in China's game market?

Datapoint of the Week is a recurring Game Developer series made possible by our sibling company and global research leader Omdia. 

China remains the largest mobile gaming market in the world, hence both local and foreign companies strive for success in the country. 

Here we see how important well-known IP is to a title’s success; an established user base plays an essential role in a landscape where the cost and complexity of user acquisition are increasing.

The easiest way for a traditional PC game publisher to enter the mobile realm is to adapt their legacy PC games on a mobile platform. This is therefore what most Chinese publishers are doing. 

Beyond PC game IP, well-known literature, manga, and TV series could be used as a lucrative IP source. Realizing the value and scarcity of truly compelling IP, Tencent has acquired IPs from anime, manga, and novels; in turn explaining the reason behind Tencent’s establishment of the China Literature Group.

You can find more data on the value of IPs in mobile game revenue right here.