(Yicai Global) Sept. 14 -- Shares of Tencent Holdings and NetEase fell along with major stock markets in spite of the world’s two biggest video game developers securing their first gaming licenses in more than a year.

Tencent [HKG: 0700] closed down 1.7 percent at HKD300 (USD38.17) today, while NetEase [HKG: 9999] finished 2.1 percent lower at HKD136.30 (USD17.37).

China’s National Press and Publication Administration yesterday issued 73 licenses for game titles from developers including NetEase and Tencent subsidiary NetDian Technology. Zqgame, Cmge Technology Group, and XD Network also got permits.

A total of 314 games in five batches have been licensed by the media watchdog since it resumed issuing the permits in April. None had gone to Tencent and NetEase before.

Their issuance was suspended for about eight months after China tightened oversight of the gaming sector in August last year. The new rules cut the amount of time minors can spend online to three hours a week in an effort to curb video game addiction.

Tencent’s second-quarter revenue from games sold at home and abroad fell 1 percent to CNY31.8 billion (USD4.6 billion) and CNY10.7 billion, respectively, the Shenzhen-based firm's latest financial report revealed on Aug. 17.

The number of licenses issued monthly has increased since July when the commerce ministry and 26 other government departments jointly released a document aimed at optimizing the licensing process, expanding the online game review scheme, and innovating supervision during and after the process.

Editor: Futura Costaglione