In our view, the statement from the CADPA refers more to official game approvals in China. The difference is that WeGame titles are licensed, whereas SteamвЂ™s are not. Tencent has a competing service to Steam called WeGame, so a ban of Steam might also impact that platform. We note that Steam could indeed be banned in the future, but currently the service is still in operation. Chinese regulators would need to ban the entire Steam platform in order to stop the distribution of PUBG there. Grand Theft Auto and Battlefield 1 are examples of unlicensed games nevertheless available via Steam. Many games (not all) that can be purchased via Steam are not licensed in China. This is the gentle way of saying that Steam distributes games without obtaining licenses via the legal channel вЂ“ and this is unlikely to persist forever. This is because the game is currently being distributed via Steam, which operates in a grey area in China. First of all, we believe that it is unlikely PUBG will be banned in its current release form. But at Niko Partners we believe there is a deeper meaning behind the statement. Many have taken this to mean that PUBG will be banned in China. The CADPA discourages the development of Battle Royale games that reflect the first three points.The CADPA believes games of this nature can have a negative effect on the mental health of youth.The CADPA believes that the design of the game goes against Chinese values and ethical norms.The CADPA believes that games like PUBG are violent and bloody in nature.The CADPA collaborated with the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) to put out a statement to developers and publishers who wish to also launch battle royale games. Chinese and Korean media report that Tencent has invested in Bluehole. With the popularity of the game and the genre continuing to grow, many Chinese game and tech companies have been interested in capitalising on its momentum. The game has popularized the genre of вЂњbattle royaleвЂќ, as it is the first blockbuster hit in this genre. PUBG is currently distributed via Steam in China and has simplified Chinese support. China is the #1 region for the game with a 40% share of total active players, and this number continues to grow. As of October 2017 the game has sold over 17 million units worldwide including 6 million in China. PlayerunknownвЂ™s Battlegrounds (PUBG), developed by South Korean games company Bluehole, launched in early 2017 and since then has become a global phenomenon. After careful review, we believe that the CADPA statement isnвЂ™t what it appears to be. A recent statement from the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing association (CADPA) has thrown PlayerunknownвЂ™s Battlegrounds into the spotlight with many speculating that the game could be banned in China.

Playerunknowns battlegrounds twitter