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HTML5 games: a new way to enter the China market

Yodo1 explores the benefits of developing for HTML5

HTML5 games: a new way to enter the China market

Taking the mobile world by storm, HTML5 games (or simply H5 games) present developers with a new opportunity for China market entry. Dubbed the "web games of mobile", H5 games were widely popularized when major social media app WeChat introduced its Mini-Games feature in 2017.

Most notably, the H5 feature gives game developers access to a larger audience. By launching mini-programs inside popular Chinese social media apps such as WeChat, TikTok, QQ, and Kuaishou, games can be accessible to millions of social media users with a single click—no registration or download needed.

Here are some examples of where players will be able to find your H5 game

WeChat, for example, announced that over 310 million users had played Mini Games within a month of its launch. Handset manufacturers such as Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, and Xiaomi are also hosting H5 games on their platforms. With their combined audiences, H5 games can potentially reach China's entire 1.4 billion population.

However, overseas developers still need a local partner in order to launch HTML5 games in the Chinese market. At Yodo1, we have a dedicated H5 Games team ready to help you build an entry strategy to the world’s biggest market for mobile games.

Our gaming services platform is open to developers around the world, and we have spent many years building expertise in China. In this article, we'd like to show you how H5 games can become your ticket to success in the China market.

5 Characteristics of an H5 hit

The majority of people playing H5 games prefer the casual and hyper-casual genre. The user base, evenly divided between females and males, spans from teenagers to older adults. Based on this audience, we have identified five factors that can propel your game forward in China's H5 world.

Use easy mechanics

Many who enjoy H5 games are either rookies who are not used to spending an extended amount of time playing games or gamers with limited phone memory. With simple mechanics, you can make it easy for your fans to enjoy the game even if they can't download the app—and for casual players to hop in, play a few rounds, and go on with their day.

Create a sense of competition and community

Chinese players love a game where they can show how good they are compared to other players. Incorporating a framework for healthy competition will increase your retention and playability. And thanks to the social nature of these platforms, players who compete together can enjoy a sense of community.

Innovate

The games best suited to this channel are ones that bring something new to the table. This might be a unique style of graphics, a different take on a core mechanic, or captivating characters. In our experience, the games that have been most successful in the Chinese market delivered one or more of these elements.

Stay close to reality

Keeping innovation in mind, Chinese players also want to relate a game to their real life in some way or another. An example is our partner game, Steppy Pants. Even though its character is a far stretch from true-to-life, the game takes place in a more-or-less real world—with side streets, track circuits, and volcanoes.

Be aesthetically appealing

Last but not least, never underestimate the power of visual appeal. Focus on bringing your art, characters, and UI design together in a charming and coherent whole that players can’t resist.

Did anyone say viral?

The light and easy-going nature of H5 games gives them high viral potential. The shares and buzz around a game enjoyed by many can drive a massive revenue increase and more downloads on Apple and Android stores.

Much of the virality of H5 games comes from the influencers who populate social platforms. When the right person picks up your game even once, it can trigger a tsunami of excitement between their followers.

Among H5 games that have achieved viral status is Space Virus Shooting: Arcade Shooter Blast (消灭病毒). A hit with Chinese players, the game brought in a monthly revenue of 10 million RMB, or roughly 1.4 million USD.

Our previously mentioned partner, Steppy Pants, has been gaining 800,000 new users per day since we helped the game expand into the H5 realm of the China market.

Combine your game with the popularity of everyday Chinese apps, with highly social features and prominent notifications, and you've got a China market entry strategy that will help you retain and monetize millions of new players.

How can Yodo1 help

H5 games are a fantastic opportunity for monetization in China. However, developers must pay attention to performance constraints. Pure HTML5 games are the most restrictive in terms of performance and memory consumption. If you don’t convert the game correctly, it will crash frequently.

Yodo1 offers the technological support and know-how to safely transfer your game to this innovative channel. With influencer marketing campaigns, and monetization strategies, we can support you all the way. The developers we have worked with so far have been amazed at how easy and fast China market entry is with Yodo1.

In that regard, Protostar said: "We were impressed by how smooth the process with Yodo1 was, especially how quick it all went from us giving them Slingkong's Unity project to the completed H5 version - ready to be released on the new channel. We were honestly expecting a lot more hassle on our side."

For entry to this up-and-coming Chinese market, contact bd@yodo1.


About Yodo1

Yodo1 is a game platform company that helps developers better market, manage, and monetize their games. Our AI-powered tools and global expertise in areas such as mobile ads, community management, and digital IP licensing enable partners to increase playtime, revenue, and retention. Our vision is to open the world of gaming success to anyone with the talent to develop. To learn more, visit www.yodo1.com and follow us on our social media.

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