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SkyMobi on targeting the bulk of Chinese mobile gamers who live in third tier cities

Knowledge from PG Connects Helsinki 2014

SkyMobi on targeting the bulk of Chinese mobile gamers who live in third tier cities

Everyone knows that at some point soon - if it isn't already - China will become the world's largest mobile gaming market.

Of course, the money you can generate per user is much less than the like of the US and western Europe, not to mention high ARPU Asian giants like Japan and South Korea.

The difference is the sheer size of China's population that's now buying smartphones.

For example, it's already estimated that over 250 million Chinese are monthly active mobile gamers.

Nation of billions

However, according to William Heathershaw from Chinese distribution player SkyMobi - talking at the Pocket Gamer Connects 2014 conference in Helsinki - these people are perhaps different to what you expect.

The bulk of them which don't live in so-called first tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Instead, 60 percent live in the unknown third and fourth tier cities.

(The status of a city is determined by its location, GDP, and cultural importance etc.)

This means they have lower spec Android phones and weak 3G/4G coverage. They can't download the latest 500 MB games that are ruling the app stores in the west.

Instead, SkyMobi - through its Maopao app store, which is pre-installed on around 40 percent new Android phones in China - is focusing on the simple casual games that appeal to this massive market.

"Movies are expensive in China. People don't have a lot of options for entertainment, but mobile games are cheap," says Heathershaw.


You can see all the talks from Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2014 here

Pocket Gamer Connects is the biggest mobile games show in Europe, which brings together the best speakers and delegates from across the industry and from all over the world.

To-date, Pocket Gamer Connects has been held in London and Helsinki, and the show will be heading back to the UK in January 2015.

To find out more about the latest show, head on over to www.pgconnects.com.


Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.