Microsoft assembling team to support developers in China
Director of firm's Asia Gaming department said new group will help game makers “reach a wider global audience”
Microsoft is reportedly building a team to help game developers based in China expand overseas.
Rod Chang, senior director of Microsoft's Asia Gaming department said that the team will help developers in China "reach a wider global audience."
The new staff will report to the Xbox Gaming Ecosystem Group as per a report from the South China Morning Post. This group includes business strategy managers based in Shanghai that will assist local studios in releasing products on Xbox.
The move comes amidst an ongoing video game licensing freeze in China which has been in effect since July last year. The suspension on publishing new titles saw at least 14,000 studios shut down.
Regulations around game time were also tightened last year; new limits now prohibit children from playing games between Monday and Thursday, with one hour of gaming allowed at 8pm on Friday to Sunday.
Chinese gaming giant Tencent has also invested in plenty of overseas developers in the last year; it acquired Sumo Digital for $1.3 billion, and Back 4 Blood Developer Turtle Rock, as well as Don't Starve studio Klei Entertainment, and UK developer Playtonic.