Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the media industry, indicating a positive outlook for the sector [7][10]. Core Insights - The media industry has shown a weekly increase of 4.30%, ranking 6th among various sectors, with notable performances from companies like Rongxin Culture and Fantou Digital [13][20]. - AI applications and cultural exports are highlighted as key themes for investment, with a focus on sub-sectors such as gaming, IP, short dramas, and publishing [5][39]. - The short drama segment, particularly AI-enabled comic dramas, is experiencing explosive growth, with a projected market size exceeding 20 billion [38]. Summary by Sections Market Performance - The media industry (Shenwan) increased by 4.30% from October 18 to October 24, 2025, outperforming the Shanghai Composite Index, which rose by 2.88% [13][14]. - Notable stocks include Bilibili-W and Reading Group, which saw weekly increases of 11.24% and 9.88%, respectively [20]. Key Industry Data AI Application Data - Estimated iOS downloads for AI applications from October 17 to October 23 were 47.29K for Deepseek, 209.80K for Doubao, 69.49K for Quark, and 104.38K for Tencent Yuanbao, with respective week-over-week changes of -4.11%, -0.04%, -7.29%, and -10.96% [24]. Gaming Data - The National Press and Publication Administration issued 159 domestic and 7 imported game licenses in October. The top three iOS games as of October 23 were "Honor of Kings," "Genshin Impact: Sky Moon Song," and "Dungeon and Fighter: Origin" [25][28]. Film Data - The total box office for the week of October 18-24 was 230 million yuan, with "The Wandering Earth" leading at 47 million yuan, accounting for 20.4% of the weekly total [36]. Investment Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on AI applications and cultural exports, particularly in gaming, IP, short dramas, and publishing sectors. Key companies to watch include Giant Network, Kyeing Network, and Perfect World [5][39].

Industry Overview - In October, a total of 166 games received approval for release, with 159 being domestic games and 7 imported games, marking the highest number of new game approvals in recent years [3] - The actual sales revenue of the Chinese gaming market for Q3 (July-September) was 880.26 billion yuan, representing a quarter-on-quarter growth of 6.96% but a year-on-year decline of 4.08% [5] Domestic Companies - NetEase's head of the tenth division, Li Kaiming, announced his departure to pursue entrepreneurship, with the company confirming that his exit will not affect the studio's operations [6] - Tencent announced that "Honor of Kings World" is set to be released in spring 2026 [6] International Developments - A report indicated that 26% of European developers faced layoffs in 2025, with 13% leaving the gaming industry altogether [8] - The price of in-game items in "CS2" plummeted following a patch that expanded the trade-up system, with the price of the Karambit Doppler skin dropping from over $2,700 to around $1,100 [10] - Koei Tecmo Holdings significantly raised its profit forecast for the first half of the 2025 fiscal year (April to September), expecting both ordinary profit and net profit to double, driven by strong game sales and effective cost control [11]

Industry Overview - In October, a total of 166 games received approval for release, with 159 domestic games and 7 imported games, marking the highest number of new approvals in recent years [3] - The actual sales revenue of the Chinese gaming market for Q3 (July-September) was 880.26 billion yuan, representing a quarter-on-quarter growth of 6.96% but a year-on-year decline of 4.08% [5] Domestic Companies - Among the 159 approved domestic games, 155 are mobile games, 12 are client games, and 5 are web games, with notable titles including "Survival 33 Days" by 37 Interactive Entertainment and "Tomorrow's Prologue" by Meituan [4] - NetEase's Li Kaiming, head of the tenth division, announced his departure to pursue entrepreneurship, with the company confirming that his exit will not affect the studio's operations [6] - Tencent announced that "Honor of Kings World" is set to launch in spring 2026 [6] International Developments - A recent report indicated that 26% of European developers faced layoffs in 2025, with 13% leaving the gaming industry altogether [8] - The price of in-game items for "CS2" plummeted following a patch that expanded the trade-up system, with the price of the Karambit Doppler skin dropping from over $2,700 to around $1,100 [10] - Koei Tecmo Holdings significantly raised its profit forecast for the first half of the 2025 fiscal year (April to September), expecting both ordinary profit and net profit to double, driven by strong game sales and effective cost control [11]