China ranks first in terms of iOS game revenue in the second quarter of this year, soaring over the United States and Japan in the second and third spots, respectively, according to market researcher App Annie.

The change was expected as App Annie predicted this would happen when China surpassed Japan a few months ago.

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According to the report, China managed to nearly double its iOS App Store Games revenue compared the same period last year. "China will continue to present huge opportunities in mobile gaming," App Annie said.

The steep increase is due to the sales of locally developed games such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games Fantasy Westward Journey and Westward Journey Online, and multiplayer online battle arena Hero Moba.

Meanwhile, foreign games such as Clash Royale, which landed on the 10th spot by iOS revenue, played a lesser role. Venture Beat pointed out that the China's iOS game business growth would likely light a fire under Western developers who have been experiencing slow revenues in China. Furthermore, the Chinese government recently implemented a stringent policy for mobile app developers.

App Annie suggested that "Foreign publishers may see more success in the market by partnering with Chinese publishers to cater local demand, secure distribution, and generate awareness."

Altogether, China, the United States, and Japan account for three-fourths of iOS game revenue.

"Since Games is the single largest revenue driver on iOS, we predict that China has the potential to become the #1 market for overall iOS revenue in the coming quarters," App Annie said.

Tagschina, US, Japan, mobile gaming, iOS game revenue