Microsoft is hiring a new team in China to help local game developers expand overseas
Microsoft is hiring a new team in China to help Chinese video game studios and game developer expand overseas through its Xbox, according to a Microsoft’s executive in Asia.
“Excited to start a new team in China. If you or have friends who are interested in working with Microsoft Xbox to help game creators in China reach an even wider global audience, please share this job opportunity,” Rod Chang, senior director of Asia gaming at Microsoft, said in a Linkedin post.
Chang started to lead the Asia gaming department in 2019. Prior to this position, Chang was lead producer of State of Decay, an open-world survival-fantasy game, Skulls of the Shogun, a turn-based tactics video game, for Xbox.
The new job openings, which include business strategy managers based in Shanghai, will help local game partners release new content onto Microsoft gaming platforms such as Xbox, Windows PC, Game Pass and Cloud Gaming.
The recruitment plan also marks Microsoft’s latest effort to strengthen links between its flagship Xbox console and the world’s largest gaming industry.
Shanghai is home to big Chinese gaming companies or service providers in country’s video gaming industry, including Bilibili, miHoYo, Lilith Games, Giant Network and XD.
Microsoft’s expansion come as many Chinese gaming developers are shifting its focus to the overseas market for the next chapter of growth, as game companies struggle with the more challenging Chinese market amid increasing scrutiny of online games in China.
Regulators have not approved any new gaming licenses since July 2021 and gamers under the age of 18 are restricted to one hour on regular days and two hours on weekend and public holidays.
Tencent Holdings has cut down play hours for minors under 18 on its popular mobile game Honor of Kings in a bid to mitigate Beijing’s concern about gaming addiction among young people in China.
Tencent’s overseas sales accounted for 26.56% percent of the company’s mobile games business by the fourth quarter of 2021, as the world’s largest gaming company by revenue is expanding its game portfolio through acquisitions and investments.
NetEase, China’s second largest gaming company after Tencent, is also expanding heavily into overseas market.
“Overseas market will contribute 50% of our gaming revenue in the future, largely increase from only 10% now,” said Hu Zhipeng, vice president at NetEase.
To achieve the goal, Hu said the company actively seeks cooperation with global partners that enable it to adapt more popular intellectual property (IP) into games.
NetEase began its overseas venture in 2015 and made its first critical shot after launching turn-based fantasy strategy game Onmyoji in Japan. Its battle royale title “Knives out” consistently ranks in the top 5 highest-grossing games on the country’s Apple App Store. Then, games like identity V, NetEase’s first survival horror game with mysterious storylines, the multiplayer online role-playing game “Revelation Online” helped NetEase gain popularity and cemented its position in the overseas market.