
GUANGZHOU -- China's Tencent Holdings has quietly climbed to the top of the gaming market by making over 180 smaller but strategic investments, surpassing industry giants like Sony and Microsoft that have grabbed headlines with splashy acquisitions.
The Chinese tech titan led the industry in game-related revenue last year at $32.2 billion, well ahead of Sony's $18.2 billion and Apple's $15.3 billion, according to Dutch research firm Newzoo. This lead owes largely to Tencent's wide-ranging portfolio, which includes U.S., European and South Korean companies.