(Yicai) July 30 -- China's gaming market generated CNY188.5 billion (USD27.9 billion) in revenue in the first half, up 12 percent from a year earlier, as policy support and wider adoption of artificial intelligence boosted the industry, while overseas revenue from Chinese self-developed games rose 30 percent, according to an industry report.

The figures were released today by the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association (CADPA) at the China Digital Entertainment Congress in Shanghai. Zhang Yijun, first vice chairman of the CADPA, said supportive policies introduced across China and AI's deep integration throughout the industry chain have improved research and development efficiency and enhanced the gaming experience, helping sustain growth.

The industry's growth also extended overseas, with revenue from Chinese self-developed games rising 30 percent to USD12.4 billion. Domestic revenue from self-developed games climbed 16 percent to CNY163.4 billion (USD24.2 billion), driven by the continued success of long-running titles and steady contributions from new releases, the report said.

China will continue to promote emerging digital cultural consumption through the healthy development of the gaming economy while fostering innovation through the deeper integration of technological and industrial innovation, Zhang said.

PC Games Outperform While Console Sales Decline

The industry's growth was uneven across platforms, with personal computer games posting the strongest gains while console games lost momentum.

Mobile game revenue increased 8 percent from a year earlier to CNY135.2 billion, while PC game revenue jumped 28 percent to CNY45.3 billion (USD6.7 billion), driven by the stable performance of evergreen titles and expanded cross-platform compatibility. Console game revenue fell 7 percent to CNY961 million (USD142 million) as no major new release emerged to replace the 2024 action role-playing hit Black Myth: Wukong.

The United States remained the largest overseas market for Chinese self-developed games, accounting for 32 percent of revenue, followed by Japan at 14 percent and South Korea at 7 percent. Germany, the United Kingdom and France together accounted for another 10 percent.

The report also included board games in its statistics for the first time. Revenue from the segment rose 4 percent from a year earlier to CNY3.9 billion (USD577.2 million), with electronic board games accounting for 52 percent of sales and physical board games making up the remaining 48 percent.

Editor: Emmi Laine