Tag Archives: China
ESports and online gaming gain significant popularity in China
Online gaming and ESports is starting to gain some significant popularity in China, which is said to be potentially one of the biggest markets for pro gaming, online gaming, and mobile gaming. According to the research firm Niko Partners, the online games market in China will reach $ 11.9 billion this year in revenue, and it will continue to tack on $ 2 billion more each following year for the next 5 years.
The online games industry in China has grown from a $ 100 million industry in 2001 to a $ 9 billion industry as of 2012. Many gamers in China are currently addicted to League of Legends, with many of them going to their nearest I-cafes to play. With the expanding popularity of online gaming and competitive gaming, many companies are investing their resources into China in order to take advantage of the future goldmine.
Riot Games, the creator of the vastly popular League of Legends game, will be holding its LCS All-Stars tournament in Shanghai from May 24th to May 26th. It’s the first time Riot will be holding an international event in China, and its expected to be the biggest all-start event “in gaming history”. Activision is also looking to get its foot into the Chinese market. It teamed up with Tencent, a Chinese investment holding company with 37% of the Chinese PC online games market share, to test out Call of Duty Online in the country. The game recently underwent Alpha testing, and it will be available free to all players in China.
Online games have huge potential in China, and many developers are planning on bringing their games over. However, Niko Partners advises game developers to only launch free-to-play games in the country. Niko Partners told Forbes that the current F2P model, where gamers can play the game for free, but can also purchase in-game items with real money, has been working well for China. The research firm says,
“It is the business model that makes sense for that culture, and in my opinion for the rest of the world too. Pay for a service to access a digital product, not the easily-copied digital product itself. Pay to be part of an experience, and pay for as much of that experience as you want to pay for.”
[via Forbes]
ESports and online gaming gain significant popularity in China is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
SlashGear
How the HTC One’s back cover pops off, China style
When we first reported on the leaked image of China Unicom’s HTC One with its back cover off, some questioned its authenticity since the phone touts its unibody design in other parts of the world. Well, as we found out at HTC’s Beijing launch event on Wednesday, the Chinese variants (802w, 802t and 802d; ¥4,888 or about $ 790 for 32GB) do indeed have a removable cover for access to their dual SIM slots and microSD slot. But the question is: how does that piece of metal come off? It’s simple: the usual micro-SIM tray at the top left side of the phone is replaced by a latch release (close-up shot after the break), and pushing it up would pop the cover open, as pictured above.
While this may technically not qualify for the “unibody” moniker, HTC’s Vice President of China Lin Zurong told us that the removable cover and its accompanying parts at the top and bottom are cut out from the same piece of aluminum; so if you mix and match covers across two Ones of the same color, the fit or texture may not feel “right.” Other than that, the Chinese One feels and looks very much the same as its foreign counterpart.
And finally, we asked whether the much anticipated red HTC One will be sold in China, to which a representative replied this was originally designed with other regions — namely Japan — in mind, so there’s no confirmation as to whether China will get it just yet. Come to think of it, wouldn’t the red HTC One be a nice fit for Verizon?
Source: Engadget China, HTC China
Apple fined $118,000 for China copyright infringement
Apple has been ordered by a Chinese court to compensate three Chinese writers for infringing their copyrights. Apple made the authors’ books available in iBooks without first seeking their permission. The Cupertino-based company will have to pay up 730,000 Yuan ($ 118,000) to the three writers for copyright infringement.
While the situation doesn’t quite seem to add up, it’s said that the books were uploaded by third-parties rather than by Apple themselves, and it’s unclear exactly who uploaded them in the first place, but in any case, the court ruled that Apple had a duty to make sure that the uploads didn’t breach copyright, whether or not they were the ones who uploaded the content.
Of course, this is nothing but pocket change to Apple, so it doesn’t affect them financially by any means, but it further develops bad PR for the company in China, where they’ve already been in hot water recently — most notably for the iPhone warranty debacle, but Apple ended up apologizing and is working to improve customer satisfaction in that area.
One of the writers involved in the lawsuit was Mai Jia, whose books are often on multiple best-seller lists across China. The judge took the time during the court case to also warn other tech companies running an online store that they should learn from this lawsuit and be make sure that their uploading processes won’t create similar disputes.
[via ZDNet]
Apple fined $ 118,000 for China copyright infringement is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
SlashGear
Kia unveils Horki sub-brand in China, kicks off with concept car
Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, China, Kia, Shanghai Motor Show
While we were busy ogling new vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept, Maserati Ghibli and Hongqi L9 at the Shanghai Motor Show, Kia was busy unveiling an entire brand. Through its Chinese joint venture, Dongfeng Yueda Kia (or DYK), the South Korean automaker has introduced its new Horki sub-brand and a concept car, simply called the Horki Concept.
The name Horki comes from the combination of two Chinese characters “Hor” and “Ki,” which translates to “China driving.” As this suggests, the brand will only be offered in China, and this concept sedan shares its platform with the 2014 Kia Forte. We didn’t happen to catch the car live at the auto show, and apparently neither did Kia, since it only provided us with some drawings rather than live (or even studio) shots of the actual concept car. Thankfully, our friends at Newspress managed to ferret it out, so we have a couple of live pics to share after all.
Continue reading Kia unveils Horki sub-brand in China, kicks off with concept car
Kia unveils Horki sub-brand in China, kicks off with concept car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept gets mobbed in China
Filed under: Concept Cars, Technology, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Shanghai Motor Show, Design/Style, Luxury
If the reception it received at the Shanghai Motor Show is any judge of marketplace acceptance, Mercedes-Benz has a hit on its hands in the form of the GLA Concept. And we can understand why – we’re quickly becoming fans of Mercedes’ recent styling language, as defined by new models like the CLA and this GLA Concept.
The big news on the exterior front are the headlamp clusters, which have frickin’ laser beams attached to their foreheads embedded inside that are capable of projecting videos and images on a screen. Plus, a pair of video cameras are mounted on the roof that can be used to capture driving excitement or removed and taken with you. How cool is that? We just hope they have a substantial locking mechanism to prevent would-be thievery…
If the exterior is mostly ready for production, with a few of the more outlandish elements moved to the trash bin – like, for instance, laser-beam headlamps and removable action cams – the interior is a true custom job that screams concept loud and clear. There are all kinds of jewel-like finishes inside, along with transparent surfaces showing what looks like metal latticework underneath and some awfully thick looking leather with massive exterior stitching done by hand similar to what you’d find on a baseball glove.
Under the twin-bulged hood sits a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to all four wheels via Mercedes’ proprietary 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. There’s plenty more in the press release below, and we suggest you take a gander at our high-res image gallery above to take in all the unique details.
Continue reading Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept gets mobbed in China
Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept gets mobbed in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Buick Riviera Concept debuts in China
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, China, Buick, Shanghai Motor Show
It’s nighttime in China, and Buick has just concluded an evening event the day before the first – and only – press day of the Shanghai Motor Show. The star of this evening’s party was the Buick Riviera concept vehicle, a plug-in electric hybrid coupe that the automaker says gives a glimpse at its future design direction, not to mention resurrecting some nomenclature from the brand’s history that includes a similarly named concept from 2007.
The shape of the Riviera is said to be inspired by water. While the traditional Buick “waterfall” grille is present, the front end gains a more aggressive note thanks to what appear to be vertical air inlets below each headlight.
As for the concept’s drivetrain, Buick says it uses General Motors‘ new dual-mode wireless plug-in hybrid electric vehicle propulsion system, or W-PHEV for short. The keyword there is ‘wireless,’ as the Riviera can charge its onboard battery packs with a traditional cable or wirelessly via a “sensory recharge panel” underneath the car.
The car’s other features include 10 high-res cameras and 18 micro high-precision sensors for image and distance monitoring of objects in the vehicle’s path, which are then displayed on the inside of the windshield for the driver as a holographic image. Other electronic goodies include baked-in 4G LTE internet connection, night view assist, eagle view (like Nissan’s Around View Monitor), full-range adaptive cruise control, an autopilot system and something Buick calls “transparent” A-pillars. A lot of this sounds like concept car hokum, but buried there somewhere beneath all that future-tech is an aesthetic Buick hopes will resonate with buyers, and maybe a production coupe it can sell in both China and the US.
Continue reading Buick Riviera Concept debuts in China
Buick Riviera Concept debuts in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
What Apple is up against in two growing mobile markets: China and Brazil
Apple sells tens of millions of iPhones every quarter, but its biggest challenge is expanding the reach of the iPhone in markets where smartphones are incredibly expensive and new to a lot of potential customers. At the Dive into Mobile conference on Monday in New York City, two companies represented onstage offered stark examples of how Apple’s model, which it has nearly perfected in established markets, may require some adaptation: China’s high-end handset maker Xiaomi and Brazil-based wireless carrier Movile.
Xiaomi is selling high-end smartphones in China and is doing that in a way that essentially takes Apple’s own playbook and adapts it for a more price-conscious buyer. The company sold 7.2 million smartphones in China last year and plans to sell double that this year.
Taking cues from Apple
Its recipe for success will sound familiar: it designs all the major apps on the phone as well as the hardware, uses all the latest chipsets (from Nvidia) and memory tech (from Samsung) and Foxconn does all the assembly. It also relies on longer update cycles: about a year passes before new hardware is released — there are no rapid-fire updates every few months. And when it lets buyers know the new phone is ready for sale on its website, customers swarm. When its latest device, the Mi 2 went on sale last year, 200,000 handsets sold out in two minutes, according to Xiaomi Co-founder and President Bin Lin.
A huge obvious difference between what Xiaomi is trying to do with its Mi phones and what Apple is doing with the iPhone: Xiaomi is building this all on Android. It’s saving costs on a marketing budget (it has none, just advertises on Sina Weibo) but it saves itself a lot of money on production by getting the base OS for free. And it can then offer the phones for cheaper as well: Mi phones cost about the equivalent of $ 260. And, Lin noted, he’s competing with smartphones, including Apple’s, that “sell for twice that” in China.
Apple is desperate to crack the Chinese market, and it is gaining some momentum: CEO Tim Cook said sales in Greater China saw triple-digit growth in the final quarter of 2012. But Xiaomi is tapping into a need for something that Apple so far cannot: much less expensive phones that still have a similar vertically integrated approach that tends to create the best kind of user experience.
The handset maker has also figured out how to work in a market that relies heavily on unsubsidized phones — Lin said about 70 percent of the Chinese market is unlocked phones not subsidized by carriers. In developed markets Apple can get away with charging $ 600 for an unlocked phone, but in developing markets, it’s easy to see how the iPhone’s higher price may be a status symbol for some, but for those that can’t afford it, pretty much out of reach.
Cracking the Latin America market
In Latin America, Apple also faces an uphill battle in countries like Movile’s home of Brazil. Android phones and iPhones are still about 20 percent of the market, Fabricio Bloiso Rocha, Movile’s CEO, said on Monday. The rest is made up of basic feature phones. The reason: all electronics, especially smartphones, are incredibly expensive in Brazil.
“Expensive in Brazil is not $ 200, it’s $ 2,000,” Rocha said. An iPhone is about 30 times more expensive in his country than in the U.S. because of “taxes, taxes and the mystery of the Brazilian economy,” he said. As a result, carriers like his focus right now on providing service for inexpensive prepaid phones (often just feature phones) with a la carte services sold bundled with data: the services are things like mobile payments, video subscription services, food ordering services and more.
How does the iPhone fit into a picture like that? Big reform is coming to Brazilian taxes soon, Rocha says, so he believes there will be a place for smartphones to grow over the next 18 months in the country. But even then, he said, “I love the iOS experience. It’s the best UX, best product overall. But for Latin America, to invest there, you have to go Android because price is very important.”
Brazil is not directly representative of all of Latin America, but it’s the biggest and most populous country and represents a huge chunk of potential growth for the iPhone in the future. But user trends in Brazil are the kind of thing Apple has to consider when broadening the iPhone and whether a lower-priced device makes sense to crack these markets soon than later.
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Trouble brewing for Apple: Survey says half of iPhone users in China ‘want to own’ Galaxy S4
China UnionPay and Intel join forces for secure mobile payment
At IDF’s second-day keynote in Beijing today, Intel announced its collaboration with bank card giant China UnionPay for secure mobile payment, with the latter utilizing Intel’s Identity Protection Technology and also its distribution of the Hadoop software framework for datacenters. With UnionPay being China’s top bank card organization boasting a total of 3.5 billion cards to date, this is obviously a big deal for Intel both locally and around the world — at least in the 141 countries and regions where UnionPay is accepted, according to Executive Vice President Chai Hongfeng.
Chai also used his stage time to show off UnionPay Quick Pass, China’s very own NFC payment service with over 1.1 million local POS terminals as of December 2012. The exec used none other than Intel’s developer device to buy its Corporate Vice President Doug Fisher a can of “Mountain Doug” (we would’ve preferred “Chai Tea” instead), but of course, HTC beat Intel to it with the joint launch of mobile Quick Pass back in August 2011. Anyhow, there’s a press release after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Intel
Rudd: China to revise North Korea relations
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says China will begin to revise its future policy on North Korea.
Rudd outlines three reasons for this shift including North Korea’s nuclear weapons program aggravating regional U.S. allies; the potential for an escalating conflict should North Korea attack South Korea; and the damage to China’s foreign reputation as a supporter of the regime.
Rudd adds that China faces huge challenges in transforming its domestic economic growth model to meet the workforce demands for higher wages and living standards.
