Core Viewpoint - The company reported significant growth in revenue and profit for the first half of 2025, driven by strong performance in gaming and the TapTap platform, indicating robust operational capabilities and potential for future growth [1] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenue of 3.082 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 38.8% [1] - Gross profit reached 2.253 billion RMB, up 50.5%, with a gross margin of 73.1% [1] - Net profit attributable to shareholders was 755 million RMB, a remarkable increase of 268.0%, resulting in a net profit margin of 24.5% [1] Gaming Business - Gaming revenue totaled 2.071 billion RMB, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 39.4% [1] - Online gaming revenue was 1.982 billion RMB, up 39.0%, primarily driven by self-developed games [1] - The average monthly active users (MAU) increased by 19.7%, and the average paying users (MPU) grew by 21.1% [1] - Key games contributing to revenue included "Out of the Muffin," "Heart Town," and "Ragnarok M," with "Ragnarok M" showing strong performance in overseas markets [1] TapTap Platform - TapTap's advertising revenue was 1.011 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 37.6% [1] - The MAU for the Chinese version of TapTap reached 43.6 million, a slight increase of 0.9% [1] - Revenue growth was driven by increased advertiser spending, improved algorithms, and higher ad display frequency [1] Future Outlook - The company has revised its net profit forecasts for 2025-2027 to 1.69 billion, 2.07 billion, and 2.38 billion RMB, reflecting increases of 52.0%, 51.4%, and 69.6% respectively [2] - The company maintains a "buy" rating based on the strong performance of new games and the ongoing updates of existing titles [2]

Industry Overview - The gaming industry is experiencing a continuous release of policy benefits, with a record high of 166 domestic game licenses issued in August, totaling 1,050 licenses in the first eight months of the year, significantly higher than 850 in the same period last year [1] - The domestic gaming market reached a scale of 29.084 billion yuan in July, showing a year-on-year growth of 4.62%, with mobile and client games growing by 0.92% and 16.56% respectively, indicating a healthy long-term development trend [1] Company Performance - Qingci Games reported a revenue of 247 million yuan in the first half of 2025, with a gross profit of approximately 154 million yuan and a net profit of 72.665 million yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 90.2% [1] - As of June 30, 2025, Qingci Games had over 100 million registered players, with the "Qingci Iron Fans" community growing to 16.2036 million, a year-on-year increase of 8.22% [3] - The average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) reached 289.79 yuan, up 5.26% year-on-year, reflecting effective commercial value conversion [3] Key Products and Innovations - The flagship product, "The Strongest Snail," celebrated its fifth anniversary, achieving cumulative revenue of over 3.786 billion yuan and 29.4 million registered players, showcasing its long-term operational potential [4] - Recent updates to "The Strongest Snail," including new character "Gua Gua" and the ninth country "Persia," have successfully activated player community engagement and increased ARPPU from approximately 200 yuan to nearly 300 yuan during the anniversary period, a growth of about 50% [6] - The classic game "Unusual Maze" has also shown resilience, with over 25 million registered players and a successful free-to-play version launched on Steam, which quickly attracted new players and reached the sixth position on the global free game chart [8] Strategic Development - Qingci Games is expanding its product matrix and global layout, with new titles like "Tingus Goose" planned for Steam, targeting the rising demand for lightweight entertainment [10][12] - The self-developed project "Project E" aims to differentiate itself in the SLG market by incorporating exploration and resource management elements, currently undergoing targeted testing with positive feedback from players [13] - The company is also preparing to launch "The Strongest Snail" in South Korea and "Cardcaptor Sakura: Memory Key" in Vietnam and Japan, aligning product features with regional market demands to mitigate expansion risks [15] Market Sentiment - The gaming sector is gaining significant attention from capital markets, with public funds heavily investing in the gaming segment, which accounted for 215.03 billion yuan in heavy positions, representing 59.17% of the media sub-sector [17] - The positive correlation between capital market interest and Qingci Games' improved fundamentals reflects the company's ability to meet user demands through content innovation and active user engagement [19]

Core Insights - The report titled "China Game Going Abroad Guide - France Edition" was jointly compiled by Gamma Data (CNG) and the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association Game Committee, focusing on the Japanese gaming market and its latest data [1] - The report aims to provide insights from an industry perspective to help Chinese gaming companies successfully enter the Japanese market [1] Market Overview - The Japanese gaming market is expected to reach 2.1583 trillion JPY (approximately 101.9 billion RMB) in 2024, making it the third-largest gaming market globally [2][4] - In 2023, the Japanese gaming user base was approximately 55.53 million, reflecting a growth of 2.8% from the previous year [2][7] - The content market size (excluding hardware) in Japan was 1.858 trillion JPY in 2023, marking a 2% increase from 2022 [2] User Preferences - 70% of users prefer to play games individually, showing a low preference for team-based content [21] - Over 40% of users have played a single game for more than three years, indicating a high proportion of long-term users [27] - More than 60% of users favor Japanese anime styles, while realistic, cartoon, and pixel styles also have a certain audience [35] Platform Distribution - Online gaming platforms dominate the market, accounting for 1.4715 trillion JPY in 2023, while the home console market reached 654 billion JPY [5] - Mobile game users make up the largest segment at 43.55 million, followed by home console users at 29.71 million and PC game users at 14.45 million [9] Game Genre Trends - Role-playing games (RPGs) lead the mobile game market with a revenue share of 31.02%, followed by card games at 13.91%, although both genres are experiencing a decline in revenue share [19] - Users are increasingly interested in diverse gameplay, moving away from traditional genres [19] Localization and Marketing Strategies - Japanese users have high localization expectations, emphasizing the importance of adapting game mechanics, language, and cultural elements [59][40] - Long video platforms are the primary source for discovering new games, with social recommendations also playing a significant role [43] - Marketing strategies that incorporate humor and cuteness are preferred, with collaborations with popular KOLs being effective [49][51] Distribution and Collaboration - The report suggests a multi-platform launch strategy to cater to the diverse user base across different gaming platforms [55] - Different distribution models, such as agency publishing and joint operations, are recommended based on the scale of the outbound company [65][68] Long-term Operations - The trend of long-term game operation is significant, with 28 top games operating for over ten years in 2024, indicating sustained user engagement and willingness to pay [69][73]

Core Insights - Supercell's game "Clash Royale" has seen a significant resurgence in revenue, reaching $27.7 million in May 2023, a 46% year-over-year increase, and hitting a new monthly high of $37 million in June 2023 [3][5] - The game's daily active users (DAU) have surged, placing it among the top three globally, surpassing other Supercell titles like "Clash of Clans" and "Brawl Stars" [5][6] - Supercell's recent success is attributed to a shift in operational strategy, focusing on player experience and innovative gameplay, rather than solely relying on new game releases [6][19] Revenue Growth - "Clash Royale" achieved a monthly revenue of $27.7 million in May 2023, marking a 46% increase compared to the previous year [3] - In June 2023, the game's revenue further increased to $37 million, indicating a strong upward trend [3] - The game set a new daily revenue record of $3.8 million on July 8, 2023, following the introduction of a new game mode [5] Operational Strategy - Supercell has implemented significant changes in "Clash Royale," including removing barriers to player rewards and enhancing gameplay experiences [9][10] - The company has expanded its operational teams to focus on long-term game development and user retention, moving away from its traditional small team model [18][19] - Supercell's collaboration with popular streamers has also contributed to the game's renewed popularity, with notable streamers driving engagement and player interest [14][15] Market Position - Supercell's revenue has faced challenges, with a reported decline of over 4% year-over-year in 2023, prompting the need for strategic changes [18] - The company has restructured its management approach, dividing teams into those focused on new game development and those dedicated to enhancing existing titles [18][19] - The shift in strategy has resulted in a notable increase in user engagement and revenue for older titles, indicating a successful adaptation to market demands [19][23]

Core Insights - Bilibili (B站) reported a revenue of 7.003 billion RMB for Q1 2025, marking a 24% year-on-year increase, and a narrowed net loss of 10.7 million RMB, compared to a loss of 455.6 million RMB in the same period last year [1][3] - The company achieved adjusted net profit of 362 million RMB, a significant turnaround from a loss of 456 million RMB in the previous year [1][3] Revenue Breakdown - The revenue growth was driven by three main business segments: - Value-added services revenue reached 2.807 billion RMB, up 11% year-on-year - Advertising revenue increased by 20% to 1.998 billion RMB - Mobile gaming revenue surged by 76% to 1.731 billion RMB - IP derivatives and other business revenue declined by 4% to 467 million RMB [3][4] Game Performance - The strong performance in gaming was attributed to the exclusive game "Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition" (《三谋》), which launched on June 13, 2024, and achieved over a billion RMB in revenue within its first month [3][4] - The game is set to launch its S8 new season at the end of May, which is expected to enhance its revenue performance in Q2 [4] User Growth and Engagement - Bilibili's daily active users (DAU) reached 106.7 million, a 4.2% year-on-year increase, while monthly active users (MAU) hit a record high of 368 million [9] - The average daily usage time per user was 108 minutes, also a historical high [9] - The increase in user engagement was partly attributed to Bilibili's collaboration with CCTV for the Spring Festival Gala, which attracted over 100 million viewers [9] Future Plans - The company plans to release a traditional Chinese version of "Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition" by the end of the year and is exploring new game categories with 4 to 5 games ready for release pending approval [4][5]

Core Viewpoint - NetEase reported strong performance in Q1 2025, with net revenue of 28.829 billion RMB, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7.4% and a quarter-on-quarter growth of 7.8% [1][2] Group 1: Financial Performance - NetEase's Q1 2025 gross profit reached 18.479 billion RMB, marking an 8.6% increase year-on-year, with a gross margin of 64.1% [2] - The company's operating expenses for Q1 2025 were 8.038 billion RMB, a decrease of 14.4% year-on-year, attributed to reduced marketing spending in the gaming sector [2] - Net profit attributable to shareholders for Q1 2025 was 10.301 billion RMB, showing a significant year-on-year increase of 34.9% [2] Group 2: Business Segments - Revenue from games and related value-added services in Q1 2025 was 24.048 billion RMB, accounting for approximately 83.4% of total revenue, with a year-on-year growth of 12.1% [1] - New game releases, such as "Yan Yun Shi Liu Sheng" and "Jie Wai Kuang Chao," contributed to the revenue growth, with the former surpassing 30 million registered players and the latter achieving a peak of over 110,000 concurrent players shortly after launch [1] - Non-gaming segments, including Youdao, NetEase Cloud Music, and other businesses, experienced revenue declines of 6.7%, 8.4%, and 17.6% respectively [1] Group 3: Market Reaction - Following the earnings announcement, NetEase's stock price rose by 1.2% to 168.1 HKD per share, with a market capitalization of 532.5 billion HKD [2] - In pre-market trading in the US, NetEase's stock price increased by 4.85%, reaching 112.3 USD per share [2]

Group 1 - The game "Dungeon Castle 4: Knights and the Shattered Chronicle" has begun its "Glorious Moon Test" on Android, continuing the legacy of the series which has accumulated 30 million players over nearly 11 years since its first release in 2014 [1] - The game was developed by the original team behind the "Dungeon Castle" series, indicating strong brand loyalty and development stability [1] - The approval of the game's license in July 2024 reflects efficient project advancement post-approval, boosting confidence in the company's future product pipeline [1] Group 2 - From Software revealed new information about the Switch 2 version of "Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition," including two new starting classes and additional content such as new armor and weapons [2] - The anticipated release of the Switch 2 version, including downloadable content (DLC), highlights the company's focus on long-term game operation and potential market value [2] - This move may attract investor interest in innovative content within niche markets, particularly for high-reputation products [2] Group 3 - The independent game "Wild Planet Revenge" launched a deluxe edition called "Cosmic Hoarder Edition," now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC [3] - The standard version of the game will be released on May 8, supporting both single-player and multiplayer modes, showcasing the developer's strategy to expand in niche markets [3] - This development may prompt market interest in innovative models within the independent game sector and encourage investors to reassess the value of diversified company strategies [3]