Let online games drive cultural exchange

MEXICO CITY -- Online games featuring Chinese culture have become an important force for cultural exchange and cooperation as it spread through global markets, head of a leading Chinese online game maker told Xinhua.

"We insist on creating game products of pure national originality, and take the online game industry as a new cultural carrier and a new cultural communication," said Perfect World CEO Xiao Hong, who was attending a conference of Chinese and Mexican entrepreneurs here.

"So we combine Chinese cultural factors into network technology and, as the game spreads it transmits Chinese culture," he said.

Perfect World, which does its own research and development and published the first 3D online game in China, has exported about 10 products to more than 100 countries and regions since 2006.

It was China's top game exporter from 2007 to 2012, accounting for 40 percent of China's total Internet game exports in 2011.

Xiao said his company tried to maintain the Chinese features of its products when exploring overseas markets, only making minor adjustments translations to ensure it met market needs.

He said he will invite underfunded Chinese small and medium online game makers to jointly explore overseas markets.

Xiao also said his company plans to accelerate its push into Latin America as China and Mexico agreed to promote cultural and artistic exchanges during Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing visit to the country.