Insights of China Online Game & Gamers.

From Niko Partners:

1. Chinese gamers prefer the Free-to-Play (F2P) model of online games in which online operators generate revenue via the virtual economy, rather than the time-based model in which access is provided for a fixed number of pre-paid hours.

2. 63% of gamers surveyed increased their spending on online games in the past year.

3. Social Networking Sites (SNS) games have gained popularity among Chinese consumers, and 88% of the gamers Niko surveyed claim to play SNS games.

4. The primary reasons gamers with PCs at home go to an Internet café are to be social with their friends and to participate in gaming competitions.

5. At least 65% of gamers use Internet cafés at least part of the time.

6. There were 68 million online gamers in China by our definition at the end of 2009 and by 2014; the number should reach 141 million, a 15.5% CAGR.

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