China is the largest online gaming market in the world but has always been a hard market to crack for international gaming companies. The regulations are getting more strict and recently, over 2,500 games were just removed from Apple’s App Store. Those that want to play in China have to face a lengthy approval process to get a license. In the meanwhile, Chinese game companies like Tencent, the largest gaming company in the world, are proactively exporting their games to Southeast Asia, India, US, and Europe.
Although difficult, it is still possible for foreign companies to benefit from the Chinese market, but how do game regulations work? What should foreign game publishers consider before bringing their games to China? What’s the expansion playbook?
Today, we have the perfect guest to answer those questions, Greg Pilarowski, Founder of Pillar Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Shanghai and San Francisco that provides legal support for technology and entertainment companies with an interest in China and the US. Before founding Pillar Legal, Greg was General Counsel at Shanda Interactive Entertainment, at that time China’s leading interactive entertainment company. He witnessed the evolution of the gaming industry in China and legal affairs that have impacted the business, which today he can use to advise gaming companies.