Chinese online games revenues hit 6.18 billion yuan ($906m/£576m)) during the second quarter, up 39.5 per cent year-on-year, according to data released on Tuesday by research firm Analysys International.
Free-to-play games operator Tencent Holdings held 20.2 per cent of the market and generated 1.24 billion yuan in revenues, reports Reuters.
Shanda Games followed with 20 per cent of the market and 1.23 billion yuan in revenues, while World Of Warcraft operator NetEase was in third place with 12.7 per cent of the market and revenues of 780 million yuan.
On Saturday, China’s General Administration of Press and Publication banned foreign investment in the country’s online games industry. The government agency is hoping to strengthen the implementation of online game pre-approval and imported online game supervision, reports Marbridge Daily.