When it comes to Asia, the video game industry is absolutely huge. Here in the U.S., you can't walk into kid's bedroom without seeing at least one toy or comic book based on an Asian video game property. In a similar fashion to Japan's widespread video game export of the late 80s and early 90s, the last decade has seen China and South Korea climb their way to the top of the MMO industry.
Business in China, specifically, is booming right now. Whether it's revenue coming in from monthly subscriptions, micro-transactions or the ubiquitous virtual currency like Q Coins, China's online gaming industry raked in almost $1 billion USD its second quarter, a 39.5 percent increase from last year's earnings. In total, China's online gaming industry expects to earn up to 27 billion yuan, or $4.0 billion USD, by the end of its fiscal year, according to GamePolitics.
Despite all that success, the PRC is dealing with some serious issues, both inside and out of its borders. There's a civil war going on between two of China's government agencies; both locked in a power struggle for control over regulatory duties, leaving fans of MMOs like World of Warcraft caught in the crossfire. The country's strict censorship doesn't appear to be loosening anytime soon, either, making it more difficult for even the most mild-mannered games to get into the hands of Chinese gamers.