Sales revenue of China's online game market grew 76.6 percent in 2008 to 18.38 billion yuan (US$2.69 billion), making it one of the few industries that were not impacted by the world's economic slowdown.

According to a latest report by research firm IDC and the game committee under China's Publishers Association (GPA), the number of online gamers in China reached 49.36 million last year, an increase of 22.9 percent over 2007.

The number is expected to grow to 94.53 million by 2013, with industry sales revenue hitting 39.76 billion yuan, the report said.

"Online game is less affected by the financial market because it is one of the cheapest entertainments," said Kou Xiaowei, deputy director of the audio-visual and Internet publication department of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP).

Kou said the government will not release tougher regulations on online game industry although the country recently launched a campaign to eradicate vulgar and pornographic material on the Internet. He said China's online game industry will continue to see a robust growth in the next few years.

According to the report, domestic companies took up nearly two thirds of China's online game market last year, with sales revenue grew 60 percent to 11 billion yuan.

The online game industry also stimulated 31.28 billion yuan in telecom revenue last year, an increase of 20 percent over 2007, the report said.

(China Daily January 14, 2009)