On April 11, the official website of the State Press and Publication Administration released the approval information of domestic online games in April 2022, of which 45 games, including "Party Star" of Heartbeat Network, "Sword Net 3 Origin" of Xishanju, and "Above Everything: Awakening" of 4399, were reviewed.
What does this mean? For the game industry, it is not an exaggeration to describe it as "a long drought and a good time".
1, it means that the entire industry will gradually repair
This is the approval of the game version number after pressing the tentative key for more than 8 months, and finally resumed approval.
Judging from the number of reviewed games, there are 45 models that have obtained version numbers, although the number of reviews per month from January to July 2021 is only about half (Note: the number of reviews per month from January to July 2021 is more than 80 to more than 100), but this already means that the start button for the approval of the version number has been pressed.
From the perspective of the categories of reviewed games, mobile games account for a large proportion, reaching a total of 39, another 5 are client games, and 1 game console - Switch games. This also reflects the absolute mainstream of today's mobile online games.
It is worth noting that the big domestic online game players - Tencent and NetEase did not get the version number of the new game in this batch, but it does not mean that the two companies are bearish in this batch. There are two reasons: First, two head enterprises belonging to the online game industry, the benefits of the restart of the version number approval are good for the entire online game industry, and this benefit is of course also beneficial to the head enterprises;
Second, even if Tencent and NetEase did not get the new game version number in April, they also assume the role of online game distribution and intermodal transportation, and now that 45 games have been reviewed, there will always be game developers through tencent and NetEase channels for intermodal transportation and distribution.
For the game industry, the reissuance of game version numbers means that the entire game industry will resume growth and gradually repair the impact of the previous market decline.
2. It means that the approval of the game is relatively normalized
To some extent, since the version approval has been restarted, does that mean that the approval of online games has begun to normalize? Of course you can say that. However, it should be noted that the "normalization" of approval does not necessarily mean that the number of audited games will immediately return to July 2021 and before, which requires an observation of the number of games reviewed in subsequent months.
To be sure, in the process of discontinuing the version number, the State Press and Publication Administration is still receiving the version number application of the game company normally, which means that the number of game approvals that has been squeezed for more than 8 months needs to be digested for a period of time to be able to enter the relative normalization.
3. It means that the game anti-addiction has been recognized by the regulator
The reissuance of the game version number also means that the improvement of the online game industry in the prevention of addiction of minors has been recognized by the regulator.
Why? It also starts with why the game version number has stopped being released after July 2021.
On August 30, 2021, the State Press and Publication Administration issued the Notice on Further Strict Management and Effectively Preventing Minors from Addicting to Online Games, requiring online game companies not to provide services to minors during working days, and only provide 1 hour of service during specified periods on weekends and holidays. This is also known as the strictest anti-addiction measure in history.
Just in August, the approval of the game version number updated monthly on the official website of the State Administration of Press and Publication was not released, and it was not announced for more than 8 months after that, during which the internet rumors about the issuance of the "game version number" appeared many times, and each rumor could trigger the shock of the online game capital market.
The main reason for the suspension of the version number is that minors are anti-addiction. After the release of the new anti-addiction regulations, the verification login system of online games needs to be re-examined, and all game manufacturers must strengthen the implementation of the game real-name system.
Previously, the regulatory authorities have been laying out anti-addiction. On February 24, 2021, the State Press and Publication Administration's online game anti-addiction real-name authentication system enterprise access training meeting was held online, which mentioned that before May 31, 2021, all game companies need to complete the access to the anti-addiction system in operation games. From June 1, the operation of games that are not connected to the anti-addiction system will be stopped.
On September 30, the State Press and Publication Administration's reporting platform to prevent minors from indulging in online games was officially launched. The reporting platform specifically accepts reports on problems related to the anti-addiction of game enterprises, including reports of violations of real-name authentication, reports of violations of the length of time, and reports of violations of recharge payments.
At the same time, game manufacturers are also constantly building anti-addiction measures, including Tencent, NetEase and other online game manufacturers to continuously improve the anti-addiction of minors, while renting and selling online game accounts, providing training services to minors and other behaviors to govern.
Today, the game version number is re-issued, to some extent, the regulatory authorities for the online game industry for minors anti-addiction measures are basically recognized, which also means that the standard of version number approval has also been adjusted accordingly. If the game's anti-addiction is not passed, you will definitely not get the version number.
4. It means that the game industry is accelerating the exploration and application of the "meta-universe" situation
What does the reissuance of the game number mean for the industry? Answer: Too much.
For game manufacturers, the need to continuously launch quality games is the key to staying competitive. If you don't get the version number, it means that no new games are brought to the market, which directly affects revenue.
In turn, revenue is affected, which will directly affect the business strategy of game companies, and even survival. This has the greatest impact on small and medium-sized game companies and new game companies.
For example, in February of this year, Lilith cut the two-dimensional game project "Eden Apocalypse". The project is in the state of research and development and has not yet been officially launched. The reason for the cut may be related to the version number.
For example, since the end of July 2021, many domestic head game companies have cut some projects or adjusted the personnel structure, or even directly laid off employees, while some small and medium-sized game companies have directly shut down. This is undoubtedly closely related to the suspension of the game version number.
The deeper impact of the version number suspension is also to catalyze the survival of the fittest and accelerate the reshuffle of the game industry. In recent years, the domestic mobile game market competition continues to intensify, capital, technical barriers are constantly improving, if the version number continues not to be issued, game manufacturers "trial and error" opportunities are reduced, product research and development investment and risk is greater.
In addition, the impact of the suspension of game version numbers on the game product market is more direct. When there are constantly new products on the market, due to the impact of the game life cycle, players may choose new games to try; and when there are fewer new products on the market, players will continue to choose high-quality games that have been launched to try, rather than no longer play games, from this level, the state of no version number will promote the life cycle of the original online products to be longer than the normal life cycle.
For game manufacturers, the average life cycle of mobile game products is usually only 6 to 12 months, and the life cycle of the product needs to be extended as much as possible. This also forced major game manufacturers to change their business ideas, in addition to increasing investment in new product development, but also generally strengthened the operation and renewal of existing products, and tapped the potential of existing products.
Nowadays, with the restart of the approval of the game version number, the impact mentioned above will gradually improve: there are more new games in the game market, gamers have more new game experiences, game manufacturers develop and operate new games back to normal, the revenue of the game industry will gradually increase, and the "sharp blade" of cutting projects, adjusting the structure, and laying off the tide of game practitioners hanging above the head may be adjusted for a moment...
Online games are a market of 100 billion, and the market is also in a period of pain on the days of no version number. According to the "2021 China Game Industry Report", the actual sales revenue of China's game market in 2021 was 296.513 billion yuan, an increase of 6.4% year-on-year, and the growth rate was significantly slower than that of 20.71% in 2020.
At the same time, online games are a combination of software research and development, hardware manufacturing industry, but also to some extent represent one of the application situations of the "meta-universe", and now the game version number is finally restarted, will also prompt the entire industry participants to explore the meta-universe. This is perhaps the most far-reaching significance of the resumption of the release of the game version number.
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