China Starts Issuing Videogame Licenses Again: WSJ

by Shivani Kumaresan, Benzinga Staff Writer

April 12, 2022 7:44 AM | 1 min read |

China’s videogame regulator has started granting publishing licenses to new titles, ending a months-long freeze in the world’s largest mobile game market, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The country stopped issuing licenses in July 2021, after Beijing tightened rules on the industry.
The report noted approved 45 videogames last week, including Bang Bang Rabbit developed by Baidu Inc BIDU, while games developed by Tencent Holdings Ltd TCEHY and Bilibili Inc BILI were on the list.
The country’s video game regulator unveiled strict new measures to limit players under 18 to only one hour of video games each Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays.
Price Action: BIDU shares are up 0.22% at $133.34 in pre-market on the last check Tuesday.