Core Insights - The 2025 Cologne International Game Show showcased a significant increase in the presence and influence of Chinese gaming companies, reflecting their growing confidence in entering the European market [1][2][4] Group 1: Chinese Game Presence - The number of Chinese exhibitors at the Cologne Game Show reached a record high of 50, with over 10 new companies participating [4] - Chinese game developers are increasingly focusing on original content, enhancing their international competitiveness in visual style, narrative logic, and gameplay mechanics [4] - The game "Black Myth: Wukong" by Game Science was highlighted, with its sequel "Black Myth: Zhong Kui" being a major attraction at the event [2][3] Group 2: Market Impact - Germany, as Europe's largest gaming market, has approximately 37.5 million gamers, with mobile and console platforms being the most popular [5] - Four Chinese-developed games are projected to enter the top ten mobile download rankings in Germany in 2024 [5] Group 3: Sino-European Cooperation - Chinese gaming companies are increasingly localizing their content and operations to better connect with European players, as seen with miHoYo's "Genshin Impact" [6] - Collaborations between Chinese and European game studios are on the rise, with Tencent showcasing multiple new titles developed in partnership with international IPs and studios [7] - The focus on high-quality localization and community building is seen as essential for success in the competitive European market [6][7]

2025年科隆国际游戏展20日至24日在德国科隆举办。在本次展会上，中国游戏展台分布比去年更广、规 模更大、热度更高，多款新作试玩区前排起长龙。从内容日益丰富到影响力不断提升，从积极出海到深 化中欧合作，中国游戏正以更加自信的姿态走向欧洲，迈向世界。 更加普遍的中国元素 科隆国际游戏展创办于2009年，由德国游戏行业协会和科隆展览公司主办，与美国E3游戏展、日本东 京电玩展并称为世界三大游戏展会。本次展会上，不少中国展商以大展区亮相核心位置，散发着浓厚的 中国元素，不少企业展台前人潮涌动。 在一间展厅中央，一处长20余米的方形展区格外醒目。四周以幕布围合，墙面绘有水墨画，正面写 着"影之刃零"四个大字。等待入场试玩的队伍已绕展区一圈。这款游戏由北京灵游坊研发。该公司国内 发行负责人潘安妮介绍说，这是一款仍在研的动作类角色扮演游戏，叙事灵感来自中国武侠，美术风格 结合中式水墨与西方蒸汽朋克。 来自德国哈茨地区的蒂姆在试玩机前一坐就是半个小时，仍不舍放下手柄。他和记者分享试玩感受时 说，游戏的美术风格很酷，用刀剑与敌人战斗的方式也很有趣，"我一定会在发售后第一时间购买"。 在展会上，曾推出中国首部3A游戏《黑神话 ...

（文章来源：每日经济新闻） 每经AI快讯，8月20日凌晨，游戏科学官网发布最新作品《黑神话：钟馗》先导预告片。游戏科学表示，本作的发售日期尚未 确定，甚至"刚建好文件夹不久"，实机还没什么影子。游戏科学还表示，对所有喜爱《黑神话：悟空》的朋友来说，"西游， 不会到此为止。" ...

Core Insights - CombatVLA, a 3B multimodal model, surpasses GPT-4o and human players in combat tasks within action role-playing games, demonstrating significant advancements in real-time decision-making and tactical reasoning [1][4][52]. Group 1: CombatVLA Overview - CombatVLA integrates visual, semantic, and action control to enhance embodied intelligence, addressing challenges in 3D combat scenarios such as visual perception, combat reasoning, and efficient inference [6][8]. - The model achieves a 50-fold acceleration in combat execution speed compared to existing models, with a higher success rate than human players [4][11][52]. Group 2: Action Tracking and Benchmarking - An action tracker was developed to collect human action sequences in games, providing extensive training data for the combat understanding model [15][17]. - The CUBench benchmark was established to evaluate the model's combat intelligence based on three core capabilities: information acquisition, understanding, and reasoning [20][21]. Group 3: CombatVLA Model and Training - The Action-of-Thought (AoT) dataset was created to facilitate the model's understanding of combat actions, structured in a way that enhances reasoning speed [24][25]. - CombatVLA employs a three-stage progressive training paradigm, gradually refining the model's combat strategies from video-level to frame-level optimization [27][33]. Group 4: Experimental Results - In combat understanding evaluations, CombatVLA achieved a top average score of 63.61 on CUBench, outperforming other models significantly [46]. - The model demonstrated robust generalization capabilities, performing comparably to baseline models in general benchmarks while excelling in task-level evaluations [47][48].

Core Insights - ChinaJoy, known as the "Eastern E3," is a significant annual event for young people globally, celebrating its 22nd edition this year [1] - The event showcases the rapid growth of the Chinese gaming industry, evolving from a single gaming exhibition to a comprehensive digital interactive entertainment fair covering various sectors [3] Industry Overview - ChinaJoy features multiple thematic areas, attracting over 37 countries and regions, with foreign companies accounting for more than 30% of exhibitors [3] - The BTOB (business-to-business) section includes over 460 companies, occupying 25,000 square meters, while the BTOC (business-to-consumer) interactive entertainment area spans 110,000 square meters with over 280 exhibitors [3] Major Participants - Major domestic gaming companies such as Tencent, NetEase, and Century Huatong are prominently featured, showcasing multiple high-profile games [4] - Tencent presents 17 products occupying nearly half of its exhibition area, while Century Huatong has reduced its booth size to enhance player interaction [6][4] Interactive Experience - The event emphasizes immersive experiences, with various booths designed to facilitate deep player engagement rather than passive observation [6] - AI elements are prevalent, with companies like Baidu and Orange篇 showcasing AI-driven features that enhance user interaction and content creation [11][12] AI Integration - The integration of AI in gaming is a focal point, with companies exploring AI's potential to reshape the gaming landscape, enhancing both development efficiency and player experience [14] - AI technologies are being applied across the gaming industry, from automated translation to personalized player interactions, significantly improving operational efficiency [15][16]

Core Insights - The cultural and entertainment consumption is on the rise during the summer, with various gaming and anime events attracting significant public attention [1] - Domestic games are showcasing strong performance and gaining popularity both locally and internationally [1][4] Industry Events - The offline demo event for the game "Shadow Blade Zero" took place at the Shougang Park in Beijing, featuring a unique industrial backdrop that enhances the gaming experience [2][3] - The first Shanghai Summer International Anime Month series is expected to attract over one million visitors, highlighting the growing interest in anime and gaming [4] Game Popularity - "Shadow Blade Zero" is one of the most anticipated AAA games, drawing attention for its blend of traditional martial arts and modern production techniques, and has garnered a significant international following [3][4] - The event attracted around 1,000 participants, including over ten influencers with more than one million followers each, collectively reaching an audience of over 40 million [3] Global Market Performance - Chinese self-developed games are projected to achieve over $18.5 billion in overseas sales in 2024, marking a 13.39% year-on-year increase [8] - The first quarter of 2025 is expected to see nearly $4.8 billion in overseas sales, reflecting a 17.92% growth [8] Cultural Exchange - Games are becoming a new medium for cultural exchange, allowing international players to experience Chinese culture through gameplay [9] - The gaming industry is recognized as a significant pillar of the cultural and entertainment economy, with the global gaming market projected to reach nearly $190 billion in 2024, significantly outpacing the film industry [11]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the articles highlights the growth and significance of Shanghai's gaming and esports industries, with overall sales revenue reaching 83.283 billion yuan in the first half of the year, marking a year-on-year increase of 10.8% [1] - Domestic sales revenue accounted for 68.737 billion yuan, growing by 10.73%, while overseas sales revenue reached 14.546 billion yuan, increasing by 11.12% [1] - The esports sector contributed an additional revenue of 3.254 billion yuan, with esports live streaming and event revenues leading the nation at 2.122 billion yuan and 0.507 billion yuan respectively [1] Group 2 - Shanghai's gaming industry is characterized by strong spillover effects, with technological innovations benefiting traditional sectors such as healthcare and industrial design through applications like VR/AR and AI [2] - The city hosts a high number of gaming-related events, including exhibitions and international esports competitions, which significantly boost local economic activity [2] - Shanghai's overseas gaming sales outpace national averages due to factors like the globalization of original game IPs and long-term operations of outbound games [2] Group 3 - In the esports domain, Shanghai's esports event revenue reached 0.508 billion yuan, representing a slight increase of 1.69% year-on-year, capturing 46.91% of the national esports event revenue [3] - The revenue of Shanghai's esports clubs was 0.385 billion yuan, accounting for 42.94% of the national total, with 15 clubs making it to the top 50 revenue-generating esports clubs [3] - Shanghai leads in the number of esports media-related companies, with 41 firms, significantly surpassing the second-ranked city [3] Group 4 - The future growth of the gaming industry is increasingly tied to globalization, as domestic user growth rates are stagnating while overseas markets, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America, continue to expand rapidly [4] - The market is shifting from supply-driven to demand-driven, with significant growth in the "female-oriented" gaming segment, which is projected to reach 8 billion yuan, reflecting a 124.1% year-on-year increase [4] - The revenue from mini-program games in China is expected to reach 39.836 billion yuan in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 182.3% from 2022 to 2024 [4][5]

Core Insights - Chengdu is emerging as a hub for the gaming industry in China, particularly for single-player games, with a significant number of game studios and talent relocating to the city [1][3][4] - The success of the game "Black Myth: Wukong" has highlighted Chengdu's potential, with one-third of the most notable domestic single-player games being developed there [3][4] - Chengdu's gaming industry has a strong foundation due to early investments in talent and infrastructure, dating back to 2003 when the city began promoting the gaming sector [4][5] Industry Overview - Chengdu ranks first in job postings for the gaming industry among top cities in China, according to a report by Zhilian Recruitment [1] - The city has produced a notable number of acclaimed games, with 9 out of 30 highlighted titles in a recent media review originating from Chengdu, surpassing other major cities like Guangzhou and Beijing [3] - The gaming industry in Chengdu benefits from lower living costs and salaries compared to first-tier cities, making it an attractive location for game development [6][7] Cultural and Economic Factors - Chengdu's cultural environment and lifestyle contribute positively to game development, fostering creativity and work-life balance [6][8] - The city has been recognized for its livability, being named one of the "most happy cities" for 16 consecutive years, which enhances its appeal to young professionals in the gaming sector [7][8] - The local gaming industry is characterized by a mix of traditional and innovative themes, with studios exploring both Chinese cultural elements and international narratives [3][6]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The global gaming market is projected to reach $187.7 billion in 2024, with PC and console games accounting for $37.3 billion and $42.8 billion respectively, together representing 43% of the market, indicating a preference for heavy PC and console gaming among overseas users [1][3] - The domestic gaming market in China is expected to total 325.8 billion yuan in 2024, with client and console games combined reaching 72.5 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 5%, but only accounting for 23% of the total market, significantly lower than the 43% overseas [1][5] Market Trends - The domestic client gaming platform has shown a recovery trend since 2021, projected to reach 68 billion yuan in 2024, a 2.6% increase, marking a historical high; console gaming is expected to grow by 55% to 4.5 billion yuan [1][6] - The number of PC client game licenses and console game licenses has increased by 19.5% and 35% respectively, indicating a positive trend in regulatory approvals [6] Supply and Demand Dynamics - The supply side has seen explosive growth in domestic end games since 2017, with titles like "Naraka: Bladepoint" selling over 7 million copies in its first year and "Black Myth: Wukong" exceeding 28 million copies sold, generating 9 billion yuan in revenue [1][11] - The demand side is characterized by a rapid increase in users on the Steam platform in China, with the number of users growing from 10 million in 2016 to 155 million in 2023, and the proportion of simplified Chinese users surpassing 50% for the first time [11] Future Potential - The domestic PC and console gaming market has significant growth potential, with a user penetration rate of only 26% compared to the global average of 65%. The annual ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) is approximately 400 yuan, compared to nearly 600 yuan globally, indicating a potential increase of 50% [12] - By improving domestic penetration rates and expanding overseas, the market could see an incremental growth of around 100 billion yuan, representing a substantial opportunity for gaming companies [12] Major Players and Strategies - Major domestic players like Tencent and NetEase are increasing their investments in PC and console gaming platforms. Tencent's recent titles have shown strong performance, with "Delta Action" achieving over 12 million daily active users [13][17] - NetEase is also expected to experience a surge in new releases, with several high-quality titles in the pipeline, indicating a robust supply side in the coming years [15] International Market Outlook - Although the penetration of domestic firms in overseas console and end-game markets is currently low, there is optimism for improvement as competitiveness increases. Companies like Tencent are enhancing their capabilities in competitive genres, suggesting a positive trend for future market performance [18]

Core Insights - "The Game of Sudan" has emerged as a highlight in the domestic single-player game market this year, achieving significant commercial success and widespread discussion within the gaming industry [1][2] Commercial Success - The game has generated sales of $12.4 million (approximately 89.21 million RMB) and sold 660,000 copies, which is exceptional for an independent game, where 20,000 copies sold is considered a good performance [1] - The game has gained substantial traction on content platforms like Xiaohongshu and Bilibili, with nearly 100,000 related posts on Xiaohongshu and significant engagement on Douyin [1] Game Quality - The game's success is attributed to its high quality, particularly in gameplay, story, and artistic style, with early testing phases showing strong performance [2][3] - Players appreciate the game's rich narrative and artistic style, which incorporates Middle Eastern Islamic cultural elements, making it stand out in a market dominated by other styles [3] Market Trends - The proportion of Chinese players on Steam is increasing, with simplified Chinese users surpassing 50% for the first time in February [4] - The maturity of the gaming market in China is leading to more players who respect copyrights and are willing to pay for high-quality content, further driving interest in international platforms like Steam [5] Content Platform Influence - Platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin are actively promoting game-related content, contributing to the rising visibility and popularity of games like "The Game of Sudan" [6] Independent Game Landscape - The number of independent game developers and titles is increasing, with more successful projects emerging, indicating a positive trend for the independent game sector [7][8] - Despite the growth in independent games, many developers still struggle to achieve profitability, as the market remains challenging [9] Development Challenges - The development team behind "The Game of Sudan" faced significant pressure, producing over 1.4 million words of game text in 14 months, highlighting the intense effort required to create a successful independent game [10]