Revenues for the game industry in Guangdong province are expected to increase at least 10 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, according to the local game industry association.

[File photo\Nanfang Daily]

"A majority of mobile game publishers have seen a dramatic increase in the number of active users and user duration in the last three months, as people prefer staying at home during prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Lu Xiaokun, executive director of Guangdong Game Industry Association.

The revenue of Guangdong's mobile gaming industry, playing the biggest role in the national industry, increased 13.1 percent year-on-year to 118.22 billion yuan in 2019.

The booming momentum of mobile games will continue in the months ahead, as online gaming has become part of important public entertainment activities, Lu said.

China currently has more than 600 million game users, with industrial value surpassing 200 billion yuan, he added.

Guangdong, an economic powerhouse in South China, has more than 10,000 registered game companies, accounting for 33.1 percent of the country's total.