Game Platform Steam to Launch Domestic Chinese Version Soon
On August 21st, Chinese video game developer Perfect World officially announced the Chinese name for the project previously referred to as “Steam China”. The platform titled Zhengqi Pingtai, which literally translates to “Steam Platform”, will be independent from the international version of Steam. Over 40 games will be released on the Chinese platform, including hits like Dota 2 and CS:GO. The exact release dates are still to be announced.
In addition to the popular games that have already been released, Steam China also introduced ten newly-developed games, such as the 14th part of the Three Kingdoms franchise, a game series inspired by the period in China’s history of the same name. Other new titles include The Necrobarista Route 59 Games, and Roguelike Hero by Carrya.Tec.
On June 12, 2018, Perfect World announced that it would be working with Valve Corporation to bring gaming platform Steam to China through the “Steam China” project.
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The launch of Steam China is in line with the development trend of China’s domestic gaming market. From March to December last year, authorities put a hold on issuing new game licenses. Since the beginning of 2019, after the licensing process resumed, the Chinese game market has been booming, awash with a slew of new local console and mobile games, as well as several imported titles.
Xiao Hong, CEO of Perfect World said, “Perfect World has made great progress with Valve and many other partners, including game publishers and developers both at home and abroad. The Steam China platform is tailored for Chinese players and will provide high speed servers, high-quality localization as well as a fresh and unique gaming experience. The platform will also support new technologies such as virtual reality. We aim to build a massive gaming library to meet the demands of gamers from different age groups and with various preferences.”