Gacha game players often feel devs give China (CN) servers better treatment than global ones. It’s not about hating global players—it’s mostly because China’s market is way bigger and more profitable.
1. China’s Massive Market
China’s mobile gaming scene is huge, pulling in billions ($42 billion in 2022 and growing). It’s a massive chunk of global revenue, with big-spending players dropping serious cash. Global servers, while important, often bring in way less—sometimes just 10% of a game’s total. So, devs focus on CN with faster updates, exclusive content, and better features to keep the money flowing.
2. Cultural Preferences and Spending
Chinese players love gacha mechanics and spend big, unlike Western players who prefer free-to-play and dislike pay-to-win setups. Games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd are tailored for China’s taste in anime-style art and Japanese voiceovers, which might not click as much globally. Devs prioritize CN because it’s where the spending and enthusiasm are.
3. Regulations and Operations
China’s strict gaming laws (spending caps, playtime limits, gacha transparency) force devs to make separate CN servers with tweaks like censorship or extra features. For example, NIKKE’s CN version has unique updates global doesn’t always get. Global servers face fewer rules but often get less investment. Plus, Chinese devs spend more (like $18 million per game vs. Japan’s $7 million), so CN servers get shinier content first. Sometimes global servers test features before CN polishes them, which feels like neglect but is just workflow.
Conclusion
CN servers seem favored because China’s market is massive, spends more, and has strict rules devs must follow. Global players feel left out with slower updates or fewer exclusives, but it’s about business, not hate.
Japanese devs used to ignore global markets, and while Chinese devs like miHoYo go global, CN still comes first.
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