China to spend $1.8 billion on online games

by Vladimir Cole { Aug 2nd 2005 at 9:30AM }

China Daniel Terdiman who blogs games for CNET suggests that China is going to be investing $1.8 billion on online games because they want a piece of that burgeoning market.

But we're a little more skeptical. The cynic in us says that this is all part of a master plan to fence off all of China's citizens inside a safe intranet zone that protects them from the unhealthy and shocking content to be found on the Internet.

Sure, it's nice and all that some 103 million Chinese game players spent about $483 million playing online games in the first half of 2005, but what we're guessing really matters to the Chinese government is that all of that money is spent on wholesome, government-sanctioned content, preferably stuff that doesn't encourage dangerous hobbies like voting.

Either way, $1.8 billion is a nice hunk of change. Whether it's spent over the next year or the next 10 years will be the real determinant of just how much change is in store for the Chinese game consumer.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

John Kepler Lewis @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

So each of these 103 million spent roughly, uhm, four bucks?

Jeremy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

stuff that doesn’t encourage dangerous hobbies like voting.

OMG, Commies, you must do something.

Brainwash them!

julius @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

"...the government in Beijing has decided to invest $1.8 billion in the development of as many as 100 different kinds of online games."

I don't think this will worry Blizzard. I mean, come on, China... This government can't even managed to lift half of its country out of extreme poverty, and it's spending boatloads of money on shit projects like online gaming and sending some schmuck into low earth orbit? Sheesh. I'm sure "World of Oppression, Online" will work out great.

Marcus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:06PM

#3: lol my thought's exactly

Stupid commies, their real aim is obviously just to brainwash their citizens even more into thinking that china is a great country and other wacky stuff like that