The Tencent WeGame X store has expanded internationally. Tencent already operates the WeGame store in the company’s home country China. WeGame X is currently marked as “Early Access” on the site, with no further details on when it will launch fully. The move comes on the heels of the emergence of Epic Games Store as a competitor for Valve’s Steam platform.
“Explore a larger game world” is the message which tops the website for the new Tencent WeGame X store. The featured games listed on the website thus far primarily include Chinese titles. However, the recent release from Team 17, My Time At Portia, is possibly the most well-known inclusion.
The lack of popular western titles on the storefront reiterates the “Early Access” state of the site. A Tencent representative stated that the company is currently “testing [the platform] to serve its global users,” adding “we hope with the maturation of this product, we can bring more Chinese game overseas.”
In July of last year, Tencent revealed its intentions to expand WeGame to the global market. Tencent is entering a market with increasing competition. The recent conversation has been led by moves made by Epic Games, a company which Tencent owns a stake in. Along with this gaming storefront, news emerged earlier this year that Tencent is partnering with Intel to announce a streaming service named Tencent Instant Play.
Tencent continues to raise its stake on the international stage. In February, a report indicated the company’s mobile game revenue had seen a huge rise outside of China. The 505% rise in mobile game revenue was attributed to the popularity of titles like Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile. Tencent recently faced challenges in its own country. The company was recently forced to implement new rules for content streamed on its platforms to move in line with new digital legislation in China.
[via Abacus News]
