The China Game Industry Annual Conference reported that the total revenue of the Chinese games industry (client-based online, mobile, webgames, "home games," console games, handheld games) was 123 billion RMB ($20 billion USD). Niko's estimate for 2013 is $11.9 billion for PC games and $1.2 billion for mobile games, and we are doubtful that the total got as high as they are reporting in this Gamelook article. 

Keep in mind that other "official" Chinese game industry associations will also host conferences and declare market values, the most prominent of which is the GAPP-affiliated China Game Publishers Association, and their conference is in January. 

A Chinese article in Gamelook reported that the theme of the "Three Kingdoms" has finally (finally!) started to fall out of favor among Chinese gamers, at least in the mobile games space. In 2013 the Three Kingdoms themed games did not make it into the Top 50 mobile games lists.

The Ministry of Culture issued a new set of regulations for content published on the Internet, called "Management Approach for Internet Culture Business Units Self Censorship," and it took effect December 1st. The rules for online games will not change, but the process for content approval and censorship will be simplified and optimized. The MOC says that each company will self-censor, and will have a primary internal staff member responsible for censorship. This applies to PC games, music, mobile games, and other digital entertainment. 

Imported games will still be subject to the MOC censorship process, but with the new process of self-censorship for domestically made games (including those by foreign companies), the approval process should be 50% faster. The MOC says that if the process of self-censorship for online PC games and mobile games does not go according to plan, they will switch back to the previous system (though previously the GAPP was in charge of censorship of games prior to launch). Niko will continue to follow this new system.   

It has been a long time in the making, but press reports say that Apple has finally signed a deal with China Mobile, with more than 700 million subscribers, to sell the iPhone in China. This is the last of the 3 major Chinese mobile carriers to sign a deal with Apple. A Techcrunch post said that the launch date is scheduled for December 18th. 

Regulators in China have stated that Bitcoin cannot be used as legal tender for purchases, mortgages, investments, and more, but that individuals have the freedom to use bitcoins as a trade commodity on the Internet as they wish. The regulation is not final and does not ban the use of bitcoins altogether in China.