Online gaming operators pitch toys of simplicity

HONG KONG - Tencent Holdings Ltd and Shanda Games Ltd, China's two biggest online game operators, are pitching the joys of simplicity.

Sales of games that can be played with just a Web browser and do not require specialized software are growing three times faster than traditional multiplayer role-playing titles in China because they appeal to a broader audience, said Eric Wen, head of Internet research at Mirae Asset Securities Co in Hong Kong.

Tencent's "QQ Farm," in which players grow pumpkins and radishes that can be sold or stolen, attracts 10 million users a day in the world's largest Internet market, according to Wen. Tencent, Asia's largest Internet company by market value, needs to find new customers to help reverse an 18 percent drop in its shares so far this year.