Taking in ChinaJoy
The show itself was impressive. Although this week's event was only the second ChinaJoy ever, the setting, a modern hanger-like hall located east of Shanghai's central business district, compared favorably to what the Western industry is presented with at E3.

The two main halls were packed with about 25 large-sized stands, and nearly 100 smaller booths on each hall's perimeter. Some of the stands had vast stages and booming sound systems. Two of China's largest companies, the9.com and Shanda, were positioned face-to-face on the show floor. In tight orchestration, the two company's stage shows alternated hour by hour, allowing attendees at times to merely pivot 180 degrees as one show ended and the next began...


But as the fun played out on the show floor, there were other topics on attendees' minds. As the game industry evolves in China, issues including piracy, the government approval processes, and quotas (applied to and limiting foreign-developed games) still need to be addressed and managed, say many industry observers...


The government isn’t the only important partner to consider in this market. There is the consumer to win over as well.