Advertisement
Tencent throws out popular fish shooting games from app stores amid China’s tightened video gaming regulation
- Chinese internet giant Tencent has removed popular fish shooting games from its app stores as part of a ‘risk inspection’ campaign
- Fish shooting games, in which players use cannons to shoot a variety of fish in a pool for rewards, are one of the most profitable gaming genres in China
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Tencent Holdings, which runs the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, has removed popular fish shooting games from its app stores as part of a “risk inspection” campaign amid Beijing’s tightened regulation of the industry.
Fish shooting games, in which players use cannons to shoot a variety of fish in a pool for rewards, have become one of the most profitable smartphone gaming genres in China, the world’s biggest video games market. Regulators, however, have frowned upon the gambling elements in these games.
In response, internet giant Tencent last week removed fish shooting games from its mobile app stores, including MyApp and WeChat Game Centre. The Shenzhen-based company also operates multipurpose super app WeChat.
“MyApp recently conducted a risk inspection on all the fish shooting games on the platform,” a Tencent spokeswoman said on Tuesday. She indicated that all promotion and search activity for fish shooting games have been stopped under this initiative.
“Users who have already downloaded these games won’t be affected,” the spokeswoman said. “They can use and update the apps as they normally would.”
01:09
China reportedly slows down online game approvals as crackdown on video game addiction continues
China reportedly slows down online game approvals as crackdown on video game addiction continues
Tencent has so far been the only Chinese app store operator to do away with fish shooting games on its platforms. Android app stores run by Huawei Technologies Co, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi are still carrying these games.
Advertisement