Market strategy
Which route, when, and at what price
Before any publisher conversation, three decisions shape everything after: the route into China, the launch timing and how your game is priced for Chinese players. We make them with you, from your game's own data.
The route
Different routes. Different commitments.
The route decides who holds your build, who needs a licence and how long you wait for revenue. It is the first thing we settle.
The primary route
Steam Global
Start with your existing international Steam release, the audience evidence and the work a partner could deliver. We help define that scope while your studio retains its IP and approvals. Local operations and promotion need their own regulatory assessment.
The licensed route
Domestic platforms
A domestic release brings approval and operating requirements that must be scoped with an appropriate Chinese publisher. Assess the proposed platform, build changes, rights, timeline and cost before deciding whether that project is justified.
The mobile route
Publisher-funded adaptation
A mobile adaptation is a separate project with platform-specific technical, publishing and operating requirements. Compare the funding, delivery commitments and rights before agreeing to a port or a new distribution route.
The demand read
Your game is already telling you whether to go
The free assessment reads four signals your Steam page already gives off. Together they say whether the numbers justify a move, and roughly what revenue share a proper deal should carry.
Simplified Chinese reviews
How many, what share of the total, and what they say. Chinese players review in their own language on your existing store page, and the sentiment tells you what a localisation needs to fix.
Wishlist geography
Country-level wishlist information your studio chooses to share, with the date range and existing activity recorded. This adds context that public review language cannot establish.
Comparable titles
Games close to yours in genre, scope, price and release stage. We distinguish public observations and third-party estimates from financial data a studio has actually supplied.
Community chatter
Whether your game is already being talked about on Bilibili, TapTap and the Chinese Steam forums, and by whom. Relevant creator attention is one signal to investigate alongside the others.
Pricing and timing
The two decisions publishers make for you if you let them
Regional pricing on Steam is set by you, not your publisher, and it is the single lever with the fastest effect on China revenue. We set it against Steam’s regional recommendations and where your comparable titles sit, then adjust it against real sales data rather than leaving it where it was on day one.
Timing is the other one. The localisation lands first, the marketing plan is approved second, and the launch is sequenced against the Steam sales calendar and the Chinese holidays that move PC spending. Publishers run a portfolio and their calendar has other titles in it. We make sure your launch date is agreed against your game’s readiness and the sales calendar, not slotted in.
Before you ask
The questions studios ask about strategy
Does the Steam Global route carry regulatory risk?
Yes. The storefront alone does not settle the position of local operations or promotion. We identify the activities in the proposed plan and the questions that need current, game-specific regulatory review before you rely on them.
Do you help with ISBN applications?
No. An ISBN is applied for by a licensed Chinese publisher, not by a foreign developer or an adviser. We explain when the licensed route applies, mainly mobile and domestic PC platforms, and what it costs in time and control, so you can decide with your eyes open.
How should we price for China?
Below the Western price, in line with Steam’s own regional recommendations and where your comparable titles sit. Get it wrong in either direction and you leave revenue on the table or price the game out of a market that pays close attention to value. We set the price with you and adjust it against sales.
When should we launch in China?
Once the localisation is done and the marketing plan is approved, aligned to the Steam sales calendar and the Chinese holidays that move PC spending. Launching a localisation quietly, mid-cycle, is the most common way to waste one.
The next step
Find out what your game is worth in China
A free assessment of your game's existing China demand: reviews, wishlists and comparable titles, summarised in plain English. No pitch, no obligation, and you keep your IP either way.