China on Monday approved its first batch of new video game licenses in nine months, ending a lengthy freeze that sent jitters through the world's largest gaming market.

Beijing moved against its vibrant gaming sector last year as part of a sprawling crackdown on tech giants, capping the amount of time children could spend playing games and slowing approvals for new titles.

But on Monday the National Press and Publication Administration said it had approved 45 titles of new games -- the first since July last year, according to its website.

During the tech crackdown, hundreds of game makers pledged to scrub "politically harmful" content from their products and enforce curbs on underage players in a bid to comply with government demands.

But the moves struck hard at many companies' bottom lines, including Chinese domestic giant Tencent, which was told it had to gain government approval before releasing any new apps or updates.

The gaming titan -- the maker of the wildly popular "Honor of Kings" -- posted its slowest revenue growth since 2004.

Neither Tencent nor rival NetEase appeared on the list of newly-approved games on Monday.

But overseas Chinese tech stocks still soared in pre-market trading, with Nasdaq-listed NetEase briefly jumping over eight percent.

Video-sharing site Bilibili rocketed by over nine percent on the same bourse, while New York-listed Huya rose eight percent.

China's ruling Communist Party has relied on success stories like Tencent to push a digital transformation in the country, with the biggest domestic apps seamlessly integrated into the lives of hundreds of millions.

But Beijing turned on the sector as concerns mounted over allegations of monopolistic practices and data abuse, as well as reining in the entertainment industries.

mjw/rox/dhc

Tencent

Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Tencent shuts game streaming site after China blocks merger
Beijing (AFP) April 8, 2022
Chinese tech giant Tencent will close its game streaming platform, less than a year after authorities blocked a merger that would have powered its drive to take on Amazon's Twitch. Beijing has stepped up scrutiny over big tech, launching a major crackdown on some of the biggest names in the sector, while the gaming market has also taken a hit owing to tighter controls on play time for minors. Tencent's service, Penguin Esports, has halted new user registrations and in-app purchases, and will shu ... read more