TENCENT(HK:00700) 虎嗅APP·2025-07-01 00:06Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the competitive landscape between Tencent and ByteDance in the mini-game sector, highlighting the rapid growth and potential of mini-games as a lucrative market opportunity in the mobile gaming industry [3][30]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - The Chinese mobile gaming market has experienced a stagnation with an average annual growth rate of only 2.7% over the past three years, while mini-games have shown remarkable growth, with a projected revenue increase of 99.18% year-on-year for 2024 [3][6]. - Mini-games have surpassed traditional app games in active user numbers, with WeChat mini-games reaching 1 billion users and a monthly active user (MAU) count of 500 million [7][8]. - The mini-game market is still in its growth phase, with a MAU penetration rate of only 35% on WeChat, indicating significant room for expansion [7][8]. Group 2: User Engagement and Behavior - User engagement in mini-games is high, with a 10% year-on-year increase in playtime, and over 80% of users returning to games through social interactions [8][23]. - The average user plays six different mini-games per month, with a core user retention rate of 95% across months [8][23]. - Mini-games have attracted a diverse user base, with female users accounting for 45% of the total, and significant engagement from users aged 24 to 40 [11][25]. Group 3: Commercialization and Revenue Models - Mini-games have a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to traditional app games, with development costs and time reduced by at least 50% [13][14]. - The revenue generation models for mini-games include advertising (IAA), in-app purchases (IAP), and a hybrid model (IAAP), with IAA showing significant growth in user engagement [16][18]. - Over 300 mini-games on WeChat have achieved quarterly revenues exceeding 10 million, outperforming 90% of the traditional gaming market [8][39]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - More than 70% of listed gaming companies are actively entering the mini-game market, with major players like Tencent and NetEase leading the charge [9][39]. - The mini-game market is projected to reach a scale of 61 billion by 2025, reflecting a tenfold increase over seven years [30][39]. - Tencent's WeChat mini-games dominate the market, accounting for nearly 80% of the total, while ByteDance's offerings lag behind [39][40].