We all know that China is a big and expanding market for video games, and you probably know that this year has seen a freeze on releasing new games for public consumption, with Monster Hunter World serving as an early victim of the process. What the heck is going on? A post on Gamasutra explains it in simplest possible terms.
In the clearest possible terms, the situation is as follows: China rearranged its governmental agencies, including the two different agencies in charge of approving new games for monetization and release. The Ministry of Culture is still approving games, but the other department, the State Administration of Press & Publication, has not been granting approvals, leading to a logjam that only allows games to slip through if the SAPP’s predecessor had already approved the title. While there’s still demand, the breakdown in the process is proving harmful to smaller publishers and indie development in particular.
Equally unfortunate for fans in the country is the fact that Twitch has now been banned in China, with its app removed from the regional app store and most mainland locations unable to access the website. There’s been no official statement on the reasons.
