Search giant Google and MMO game developer NetEase are in talks to launch Google Play on Android devices in China.
This is reported by PocketGamer with reference to the publication The Information. According to two sources of the publication close to the negotiations, NetEase made Google an offer to launch Google Play in China.
Google Play is currently blocked in China. Even if it is installed on the device, it is impossible to download anything from it if you are in China. The only way to use it is a VPN.
There are a lot of local alternatives in China. Baidu, Tencent, Xiaomi, Huawei have their own stores. There are also many app stores with pirated content.
The existing app stores in China allow both local companies and the regional market as a whole to grow quickly and earn a lot. According to Newzoo, the mobile games segment earned $7.1 billion in 2015. This is 33% more than a year earlier.
Against this background, it is unclear how much the Chinese will be interested in another store. For companies from other countries, this is important: the appearance of Google Play in China will give them direct access to the market, the entry threshold for which is problematic for non–Chinese companies.
It is unknown how the negotiations between NetEase and Google are going and how close the parties are to an agreement.
Sources: PocketGamer, The Information