Tencent going global with WeGame digital marketplace as Steam targets China

Chinese tech giant Tencent is looking to launch an international version of its WeGame digital PC game marketplace. 

As reported by the South China Morning Post, the company will debut the new version of its storefront in Hong Kong, and hopes to start building an international audience while also bringing more Chinese titles to the global market. 

"The Hong Kong version of WeGame is now under development," said a Tencent spokesperson in a statement. "This version will be available for overseas users, and we will use this platform to bring more Chinese games to the global market."

WeGame is currently the biggest PC game distribution platform in China, and has around 220 available for purchase, including some that have been developed overseas -- such as Don't Starve, which Tencent claims has sold over 2 million copies on WeGame since April. 

The decision to launch WeGame internationally comes shortly after Valve decided to bring Steam to China in partnership with Chinese entertainment outfit Perfect World. 

Although there's no word on when Steam China will officially launch, it's evident the platform has a big Chinese audience, with a recent Valve survey revealing over a quarter of Steam users have set their language to Simplified Chinese. 

Unless you believe in unlikely coincidences, the timing of each move suggests two of the games industry's biggest players might be about to duke it out for distribution dominance on the global stage.