Niko Partners: China may not need 6 months to start approving games again

The world’s largest gaming market is experiencing a bureaucratic blockade that is preventing the launch of many new games. China’s government hasn’t approved any new licenses for video games since March, and this means publishers won’t have permission to release games into the market until the proper authorities begin issuing those permits once again. That could take as long as six months, according to a report from the South China Morning Post news site. But Niko Partners analyst Lisa Cosmas Hanson, who closely tracks China, says that the country could open the gates much sooner than a half-year from now.

“The newly created regulatory agencies have six more months to finish their reorganization, after which there would be no reason for further delay,” said Hanson. “It might not take six months; in fact, [at Niko] we doubt it will.”