Less than 5% of 10,000 mobile games have been approved. Behind the chaos of mobile games

From the above percentages, we can see that the number of mobile games approved is the largest, but the number of mobile games launched is also the largest compared to other platforms. There is no accurate data on the number of all mobile games in 2015, but referring to the 14,000 in 2014, there are at least 10,000 in 2015. In other words, less than 5% of mobile games are approved normally.

A few days ago, the Game Working Committee released the 2015 China Game Industry Report, which showed that the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television approved the publication of about 750 games in 2015, of which more than 370 were mobile games. This data proves that most domestic games have not been approved, which has led to serious market chaos.

Only 370 out of 10,000+ mobile games were approved, and the approval rate for mobile games is less than 5%.

The report mentioned that in 2015, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television approved the publication of about 750 games, of which client games accounted for 11.2%, web games accounted for 32.8%, TV games accounted for 6.3%, and mobile games accounted for 49.7%.

Judging from the above percentages, mobile games have the largest number of games approved, but the number of mobile games launched is also the largest compared to other platforms. There is no accurate data on the number of all mobile games in 2015, but referring to the 14,000 in 2014, there are at least 10,000 games in 2015. In other words, less than 5% of mobile games have been approved normally.

Why does this phenomenon occur? The main reasons are as follows:

1. Time-consuming

It is reported that the launch of a game generally requires filing with the Ministry of Culture and approval by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The Ministry of Culture's approval is relatively quick, usually completed in about a month, while the approval by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television takes a longer time, requiring 4 to 6 months.

The mobile game market is changing rapidly and is known for its short life cycle. On average, a product only has a lifespan of 2 to 3 months. If the normal approval process is followed, it will take at least 5 months to complete. Such a long time is fatal for mobile games.

2. Complicated approval documents

Mobile games are cultural products, so it is natural for them to be registered with the Ministry of Culture. The reason why they need to be approved by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television is mainly to obtain a "version number", because without a version number, recharge charges are not allowed.

In a detailed list of application numbers provided by industry insiders, Game Gyro found that if a game is to be approved, in addition to the basic information of the game, it is also necessary to provide various business certificates, even including 2 mobile phones with SIM cards, a recharge of at least 200 yuan, and CD burning, etc. Although it is not extremely cumbersome, it still takes a lot of time and effort.

However, the approval rate is relatively high. Basically, all mobile games submitted for review can pass. However, if any unqualified areas are found during the process, they will be required to be modified until they pass.

3. There are too many mobile games to monitor

Due to the low entry barrier, mobile games have been growing at an explosive rate since 2012, with more than 10,000 new mobile games released each year. If each game follows the above process, it will require a huge amount of manpower to complete, and the number of supervisors is limited, which will inevitably result in difficulty in balancing all aspects.

4. No strict punishment mechanism

From a legal perspective, mobile game approval is mandatory. However, due to the above reasons, although the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television has said that it will crack down on mobile games every year, it has not been able to do so. Even though more than 95% of mobile games have not been reviewed, almost no mobile games have been punished or forcibly removed from the shelves due to lack of review. The lack of a clear punishment mechanism is also one of the main reasons for this phenomenon.

Small companies will save as much as possible, while large listed companies will follow normal procedures.

As mentioned earlier, less than 5% of games have passed review, and these are basically mobile games launched by large listed companies.

For small companies, since not reviewing will not affect the game, they will save as much as possible. However, it is different for large listed companies. Generally, game companies have almost no privacy after listing, and all aspects must be open and transparent. Therefore, the game launch must follow the normal process.

However, according to industry insiders, large companies can obtain a game license before the game goes online and do not need a license during the testing period. However, they will be fined if they are discovered.

Impact on mobile games: Infringement and pirated products are rampant

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television is referred to as the National Copyright Administration, which is mainly responsible for press, publication, radio, film and television, and copyright management. The indirect consequence of mobile games not going through this level of approval is that infringement and pirated products are rampant.

After the mobile game boom, the market was flooded with various IP-based games. Most of them were of low quality, but because they used popular IPs, they could attract a wave of users. Since the cost was low, even if they couldn’t make a fortune, they could still be considered profitable. A data report last year pointed out that among the more than 1,100 mobile games launched in a certain month, only 5% were genuine IP products, which shows the severity of piracy.

However, as the number of genuine IP products increases and copyright awareness increases, IP copyright piracy may be further improved in 2016. If there is no more mandatory punishment mechanism for game approval, it is likely to remain the same, but relevant sources revealed that the relevant supervision may be strengthened in 2016.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.