Do Chinese Gamers Actually Rate Western Games Worse? Analysts Have Given Their Verdict

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I can confidently say that the gaming world is as diverse as it is vast. The theories floating around about Chinese players rating Western games differently are intriguing, but without solid data, they remain just that – theories.


I’ve heard a rumor floating around online that Chinese gamers tend to rate Western games lower, but without solid evidence to back it up, it’s just internet chatter that may not reflect the truth. Still, I found it intriguing and wanted to see if there was any substance to this claim. That’s when I stumbled upon GameDiscoverCo, an agency known for analyzing Steam game data. They decided to investigate this very question, which is exciting since their findings could shed light on this supposed trend.

As a gaming enthusiast, I delved into an intriguing study conducted by GameDiscoverCo, which utilized review data from Valve’s platform. This analysis allowed for the division of opinions based on language, with a specific focus on titles written in English and Simplified Chinese – the two most prevalent languages on Steam.

The basis for this recent choice was straightforward: Chinese Steam users tended to rate smaller games that barely garnered over 50 reviews significantly more favorably. Consequently, games from the 90th percentile received 9% lower ratings (or grades) in English compared to Chinese.

After taking this correction into account, a similar trend could still be observed. More importantly, Chinese gamers were 2% more strict about Steam games in the median, and 10th percentile opinions in English were as much as 15% more positive.

The attitude of the Chinese towards specific games

GDC provided instances where certain games were mentioned, and in some cases, the disparity in their evaluation can be clearly understood. For instance, Helldivers 2 experienced a setback due to misunderstandings with PlayStation Network. Unfortunately, Chinese accounts are not supported on PSN, which could explain why the game may still be unavailable even after Sony eased this restriction.

The agency suggests that games with numerous mechanisms for failure, often referred to as “roguelikes,” do not seem to be favored by Chinese users on Steam, as seen in Peglin and Wildfrost. Contrastingly, big-budget games from the West like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Forza Horizon are perceived similarly in China as they are in the Western world.

Do Chinese Gamers Actually Rate Western Games Worse? Analysts Have Given Their Verdict

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2024-10-04 19:02