CRI听力:Chinese eSports industry begins to take leading position in the world

The Chinese eSports industry has emerged as a world leader following years of rapid growth in that sector.

The latest stats show that eSports revenue in the country reached 36 billion yuan in the first half of this year - more than 43 percent higher than this time last year.

CRI's Guan Chao has more.

In the first half of 2017, China hosted more than a hundred large and medium-sized eSports tournaments, offering an estimated 64 million US dollars in prizes.

More than a third of all Chinese video game enthusiasts are said to spend at least six hours a week watching professional eSports tournaments.

Xiao Hong, an expert on the video game industry, says attitudes towards eSports in China have changed dramatically over the years.

"As a special genre of video games, eSports is fully booming and it fits in well among youngsters. Actually, it is no longer a game anymore. It is a recreational form representing the idea of competition through games, which is similar to other sports such as basketball and soccer." 

In the eSports industry, apart from action games, some casual games have also attracted players. 

Wang Ya is the head of an online eSports company.

"A good eSport game should be fair, has no cultural differences, and can provide more playing modes [for players] to choose. Different playing modes match different audiences. [We can] let game players play online, and [offer them opportunities to] interact and communicate offline." 

Last year, China's Ministry of Culture announced its support for regional, national, and international eSports tournaments. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has listed "eSports management" as a new university major. 

However, experts still say China's eSports industry requires a platform to cultivate innovative talents. 

Teng Hua is a data analyst of the China digital game industry report.

"Although the Ministry of Education has set up the 'eSports management' major, and many universities have participated in the cultivation of talent in this area, development of the industry still needs an accumulation of time. On the other hand, the talent cultivated by professional institutions mainly consists of video bloggers, professional game players, and narrators. They lack cultivation for applied talent." 

According to an official Chinese government report, the revenue of the eSports market accounts for nearly 40 percent of the figure for the overall game industry in China.

For CRI, this is Guan Chao.