A state-level eSports think tank opens in Shanghai to boost industry development
China Esports Industry Research Institute, a state-level eSports research organization, was founded on Wednesday in Shanghai.
China Esports Industry Research Institute, a state-level eSports research organization, was founded on Wednesday in Shanghai, fitting well with the city's strategy to become a global eSports hub.
The institute, with members from universities, researchers, regulators and game firms including Tencent and NetEast, will conduct industry research and draft national standards for the booming industry. It will finally serve game fans in China, which covers one-third of the country's population.
The new institute will provide intellectual support for Shanghai to become a "global eSports hub".It helps Shanghai to carry out industrial innovation, system building and talent training. It will assist Shanghai eSports enterprises to develop in a sustainable and healthy way; promote more local tournaments and attract more clubs and players to Shanghai and introduce Chinese stories and culture to the world, said Wang Yayuan, vice director of the Shanghai Publicity Department.
In 2022, Shanghai's eSports industry revenue reached 28.9 billion yuan (US$4.18 billion) and its has the most eSports clubs and professionals nationwide, Wang added.
LPL 2023 Spring Finals is held in Shanghai in April, attracting many game fans.
For example, the League of Legends Pro League or LPL 2023 Spring Finals was held in Shanghai early this month. As one of the first top eSports event held offline in Shanghai after the pandemic, tickets are sold out soon. And millions of people flocked to the streaming sites like Tencent Video and Bilibili to watch the game.
It shows strong demand and booming industry development of eSports in Shanghai and China.
The new institute is in Jing'an District, with several industry zones and parks on eSports. Since 2021, over 700 film and eSports firms have set up facilities in Jingan District, with combined capital register over 3.5 billion yuan. During the pandemic, eSports industry developed rapidly with the surging demand for digital entertainment.
Executives from Tencent, NetEase and miHoYo attended the institute founding conference, shared their experience on game production and integration between gaming and education.
A speaker shares a demo of a Oracle character from ancient China and how to integrate game with education.
