China is a gaming hub of sort and in recent times, the government had to adopt tougher restrictions in order to curb a rising problem of gaming addiction and eye defect. However, gaming is coming to the rescue of Chinese families who have had to adjust their routine in the face of the Coronavirus outbreak and quarantine efforts aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.
App Store data from mobile app researcher Apptopia (via Bloomberg) shows that the number of active users of mobile games developed by two of China’s top games developers – Tencent Holdings Ltd and NetEase Inc. has risen astronomically in mainland China due to the quarantine efforts by the government aimed at curbing person-to-person transmission of the virus. As a result, the shares of both companies continued to surge despite a struggling domestic market as a result of the coronavirus epidemic.
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The data shows that the percentage of active users daily for two of Tencent’s most popular titles – Mahjong and Game For Peace, increased 109% and 44%, respectively, between January and February. Other games by Tencent such as Honor of Kings, Happy Poker, and QQ Speed also saw a surge in their usage by more than 20% in the two-month period under review.
On the other hand, the game Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow produced by Netease has also seen its daily active users more than doubled in China since December, attaining a growth of 131%.
The spike in game-playing began in late January after coronavirus quarantines kept people indoors during the Chinese New Year, limiting their entertainment options. Online entertainment and gaming are ordinarily expected to benefit as people are locked down in their homes. During this period, the TV viewership also saw a surge in numbers as more families spent time indoors since the virus started its rampage. Analysts project that stocks tied to in-home entertainment could see more gains ahead as more people avoid socializing and look for alternative ways of passing time within the safe precinct of their homes.
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