No Discord or mailing lists: Rethinking game discovery in China

• Discoverability looks different in a mobile-led games market like China.
• Meet the local experts operating at the heart of it at Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai on July 29th, ahead of ChinaJoy.

Steam page, Discord server, newsletter, YouTube collaborations - a Western studio seemingly does everything by the book, so why does its China launch land flat? 

It’s not because of the game itself, but because most of the regular know-how doesn’t apply to how Chinese players find games. Discoverability, often cited as the number one universal challenge in the games industry, looks different in China.

As Joymaker VP of business development Tom van Dam told PocketGamer.biz, China's games scene is a distinct ecosystem that has evolved along its own unique trajectory. 

“While Western markets were largely built around the console in the living room or maybe the desktop in the office, China's industry was built from the ground up mostly around the smartphone," said van Dam.

Super apps

Because of its mobile adoption, games fit inside daily schedules in short bursts - and inside the same super apps players use for messaging, shopping and entertainment. That’s also where discovery happens, not on separate platforms.

But mini-games inside super apps like WeChat and creator-led discovery aren't unique to China. As China's games industry grows its global revenue, the trend is gaining momentum across Asia and beyond. The rest of the world is taking notice. 

As van Dam put it: "The China market is like bootcamp for how to be a winning global player." 

In a recent Mobile Mavens roundtable, Saga CEO Rebecca Liao told PocketGamer.biz: "I anticipate the role of streamers and influencers in the West will only grow to meet the position their peers enjoy in Asia, especially as discoverability grows even more difficult for new games." 

Adding more nuance, in the same piece, Big Bang Accelerator founder Wenfeng Yang said: “There is no single Eastern model replacing a Western one. What is actually happening is that the old Western monopoly on power is breaking apart”. 

“China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Korea are each playing very different games, with very different strengths," said Yang. "This is not a lone wolf story. It is more like the West is being challenged by a pack.”

One thing is clear: whichever regional playbook you’re working with, learning it well teaches you how to think about every other game market heading in the same direction.

That's where Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai comes in. Gathering developers, publishers, platform operators, service providers and investors who work across these channels, the next edition lands in Shanghai on July 29th, right ahead of ChinaJoy week. 

By attending, you get direct access to local experts alongside key market insight, allowing you to start making the connections that can unlock your reach and successful launch in the territory. If you’re still figuring out your China strategy, those are the contacts you need. 

PG Connects Summit Shanghai rundown

• 700 international games industry attendees.
• Five conference track programme from expert speakers.
• Mobile, PC, Console, AI, HTML5, XR and more.
• Integrated meeting system for business matchmaking (MeetToMatch).
• A comprehensive expo area and meeting spaces.
• Dedicated indie showcase and pitching competition.
• Dedicated event connecting investors, publishers, developers.
• Post-conference networking activity.

Pocket Gamer Connects Summit Shanghai takes place July 29th. Join us by registering for the event today.