The studio NetEase is behind the MMO Revelation Online. However, real money is made in China as a partner of Blizzard. Hearthstone makes a fortune.
The Chinese development studio and publisher NetEase has released its financial report.
In Q1 2017, the company generated 2 billion USD. This is a 78% increase compared to the previous year, Q1 2016. The profit stands at 1.1 billion USD.
Blizzard games like Hearthstone, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft are incredibly popular in China
For many Western companies, it is challenging to establish a foothold in China. They need licenses from the Chinese government to earn money in the Middle Kingdom.
Therefore, Western companies seek local partners. NetEase is the company that distributes Blizzard’s games in China. Hit titles like World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Hearthstone.
“Hearthstone” receives special praise in NetEase’s financial report, the game has achieved record numbers in Q1.
Own mobile titles generate revenue
But also mobile titles that they have developed themselves are responsible for the successful quarter, NetEase claims. A title like “Onmyoji” has been downloaded over 200 million times worldwide.
Fantasy Westward Journey is also a popular mobile game in China.
For the future, NetEase wants to continue in the same vein. They plan to develop more mobile games and release “major Western PC titles” in China. They have set their sights on Minecraft next.
Revelation Online, the MMORPG from NetEase, which has been ported to the West, does not appear in NetEase’s financial report.
They are currently making a lot of money in China
Mein MMO says: This is a very interesting example of how Chinese companies are currently generating a lot of revenue. It works quite differently here in the West, where consoles play a significant role. They do not at all in Asia.
In China, money is already in the “mobile market.” Huge sums are generated there. A company like Netmarble is now worth more than Ubisoft with successful mobile games. The Chinese giant Tencent is on a shopping spree in the West, acquiring studios like Riot Games (League of Legends).
Moreover, Western titles on the PC like NetEase seem to be a gold mine in China. A local company with good contacts to the government seems indispensable for Western companies wanting to make money in China, even if they are as influential and powerful as Blizzard.
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