Considering the great influence of online games and China's backwardness in developing its own games, the state will invest 1 to 2 billion yuan for national online games research and development, Hong Kong-based newspaper Ta Kung Pao reported on October 9.

The paper quoted Press and Publication Administration director Yu Yongzhan as saying that the program aims at integrating colorful Chinese culture and virtues into online games to guide youngsters positively.

At the just concluded 2nd China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference (China Joy), Yu revealed that the state had activated the national online games publication project, which is led by the Administration and supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, State Taxation Administration and the National Development and Reform Commission. According to the plan, from now to 2008 a hundred of large-scale national online games publications will be developed, which will receive state support in administration, taxation and funding. So far nearly 50 enterprises have joined the program and the first batch of achievements have been published. Thirty large online games adapted from Chinese classics as Canonization of Gods and Journey to the West will meet public at this yearend.

Online game has replaced electronic game to become the mainstream of game publication industry, Yu said. The actual sales of online games market nationwide reached 1.32 billion yuan last year, rising nearly 50 percent over the previous year. The figure for this first half reached 1.55 billion yuan, nearly 90 percent higher than the corresponding period of the previous year. If the growth rate keeps on, China is likely to become soon the world largest market of online games. The national games industry, however, is somewhat held back by weak R&D capabilities. Besides, despite restrictions set by the Chinese government and industrial administrators, unhealthy elements are hard to avoid in imported games, which has made it more necessary and urgent to develop games of active and sound content of China's own.

By People's Daily Online