A test version of a Game of Thrones game will be released in the next few months
17 January 2019 - 16:15
byLulu Yilun Chen
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Dancers perform underneath a Tencent logo in Beijing, China. Picture: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Tencent, 31%-owned by SA internet company Naspers, will soon release a test version of a Game of Thrones game for smartphones, after winning exclusive Chinese rights to distribute the title based on the popular TV series.
China’s largest social and media gaming company will be the sole distributor for Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming, developed by Yoozoo, Tencent said on its official WeChat account. It didn’t specify a launch date but said it would dovetail with the show’s final season airing from April.
The game will help jazz up a Tencent pipeline that suffered after Beijing clamped down on game approvals for months, aiming to weed out violence and other undesirable content. The HBO series, based on George RR Martin’s series of books, drew a record 12.1-million viewers for the previous season’s finale. Tencent said its upcoming mobile title is a simulation that will let players assume identities such as that of Tyrion Lannister, relive key moments like the infamous Red Wedding and visit well-known locales.
“When the eighth and last season returns in April, it will definitely cause a sensation and much discussion,” Tencent said. “By releasing the game at this time, the TV series will help attract more players.”
Yoozoo, the developer, was founded in 2009 and helps convert films into games. Tencent needs a boost after a grim year when China froze gaming approvals, curbing its ability to monetise two of its most popular games, including Fortnite. Beijing in December resumed approvals but the backlog has accumulated to hundreds of titles.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Game of phones — a Tencent winner is coming
A test version of a Game of Thrones game will be released in the next few months
Tencent, 31%-owned by SA internet company Naspers, will soon release a test version of a Game of Thrones game for smartphones, after winning exclusive Chinese rights to distribute the title based on the popular TV series.
China’s largest social and media gaming company will be the sole distributor for Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming, developed by Yoozoo, Tencent said on its official WeChat account. It didn’t specify a launch date but said it would dovetail with the show’s final season airing from April.
The game will help jazz up a Tencent pipeline that suffered after Beijing clamped down on game approvals for months, aiming to weed out violence and other undesirable content. The HBO series, based on George RR Martin’s series of books, drew a record 12.1-million viewers for the previous season’s finale. Tencent said its upcoming mobile title is a simulation that will let players assume identities such as that of Tyrion Lannister, relive key moments like the infamous Red Wedding and visit well-known locales.
“When the eighth and last season returns in April, it will definitely cause a sensation and much discussion,” Tencent said. “By releasing the game at this time, the TV series will help attract more players.”
Yoozoo, the developer, was founded in 2009 and helps convert films into games. Tencent needs a boost after a grim year when China froze gaming approvals, curbing its ability to monetise two of its most popular games, including Fortnite. Beijing in December resumed approvals but the backlog has accumulated to hundreds of titles.
Bloomberg, with Staff Writer
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Why JPMorgan sees plenty of upside for Naspers
Gaming battle ends in China but Tencent should still curb its enthusiasm
A2X wins over Africa's biggest listed company
Naspers leads $540m investment in Indian tech startup
Naspers’s stake in Tencent Music is worth a Tiger Brands
China’s Tencent Music jumps 11% in US debut
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.