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Niko Partners recently released a report on young gamers in China, showing that many of them have stopped gaming under the country’s strict rules. However, it also predicts that the numbers will bounce back by 2026.
Last year, China introduced new rules limiting the amount of playing time for minors. In particular, they were reduced to just three hours of playtime per week. According to Niko’s report, this left many young gamers completely out of the market. Before these regulations, 60% of young people in China were gamers. After their rollout, the number has dropped to 40%. According to the report, 77% of young gamers play less because of these rules.
However, Niko expects the numbers to rise again as the sector takes charge of the new regulations. It predicts that the number of young Chinese gamers will rise to 115 million by 2026, compared to 83 million now and 122 million at its peak in 2020. Esports remains almost as popular among the population as ever. The report also reveals that it is common for parents to allow their children to use their ID to get around the time limit.
Lisa Hanson, founder and president of Niko Partners, said in a statement: “As soon as Niko Partners learned of the regulations limiting youth gameplay to three specific hours per week, we knew it would have an impact on overall gaming and esports. market in China. The findings of this report reflect the strong impact, but youth gamers remain an essential part of the games market. Gamers, developers and game publishers will necessarily adapt to the new system in the coming years.”
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