China is huge on our radar this week. In the land of the Internet giants, Qihoo is looking beyond China, and Tencent became as valuable as Facebook around the time it acquired a huge stake in a rival. Then there’s news that the Chinese government could further tighten its rein on the Internet, and a sad case of a 15-year-old gamer’s obsession leading to murder.
Meanwhile, in Japan, a titan of the video gaming industry passes away.
Willis’ & Steven’s pick: Qihoo expands to Southeast Asia
Willis: With Qihoo entering Southeast Asia and Indonesia, it more or less completes the full set of Chinese tech giants who are eyeing this region. Will Tencent, Sina, Qihoo, and Baidu work together as compatriots or will the ugly fight in China repeat itself in Southeast Asia?
Steven: The old silk road connected China and the West, but the new silicon road connects China and Southeast Asia. While Qihoo will focus on software to begin with — as Baidu is already doing in several nations – this might build up, later in the decade, to a multi-pronged Chinese attack on Google.
Saiyai, and Minh’s pick: Tencent soars past $100 billion in value after yesterday’s search engine merger
Saiyai: The fact that Tencent’s value is above $100 billion is amazing. This means that now the Chinese internet giant is worth as much as Facebook. I find it mind-blowing that Tencent, a company you won’t hear of if you don’t follow Chinese tech news, is on the same par with Facebook, a platform that the majority of the world is on. I can’t wait to see the day Tencent’s value surpasses Facebook and the rest of the world starts taking notice.
Minh: I definitely have to second Saiyai on her nomination this week. It’s always awesome for me to see the growth of Chinese companies. They’re giving Silicon Valley companies a run for their money. Just for some perspective, Facebook is currently valued at $100.7 billion. With Twitter’s IPO just around the corner, it’s possible we’ll see another such super high valuation.
Terence’s pick: Ex-Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi passes away at age 85
A titan of the video gaming industry leaves us. I must confess that I do not know him prior to his death, but his achievements stand for themselves. The video gaming industry of today, after all, is built on the toil of its predecessors.
Xairylle, Dewi and Phoebe’s pick: Gaming madness in China: 15-year-old gamer stabs mother to death, keeps playing
Xairylle: Although I love playing games myself, I will always be saddened by the fact that people would actually do violent things for it. It makes it quite difficult to explain to others why there’s nothing wrong with spending hours over a game. But I must say this again: video games do not turn people into murderers.
Dewi: This is a sad news. One should always remember that mothers and families are the most precious things in life. Games shouldn’t gain control over your life.
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
