Game for movie?

Roco Kingdom 4, adapted from a popular Web game, hit Chinese mainland theaters on Aug 13. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Internet giant launched the game in 2011, and it has seen 250 million registered users, mostly between ages 7 and 14, in the past few years.

Alongside the previous three feature-length installments, a stage play, several graphic books, and a 150-episode animated series have also been adapted from the game, which trade analysts say may be a bid to copy the Disney model.

The figures could be the tip of an iceberg in China's burgeoning movie market, as the franchise has opened a new door for the country's longtime struggling animation industry.

While most of the animation movies are written by directors and scriptwriters, Roco Kingdom 4 somewhat changes the rule.

"Before we started to write the story, the company launched an online investigation and received thousands of replies. The storyline and the roles set are designed by fan requests," recalls Chen Yingjie, the movie's producer and head of the movie, TV and copyright department at Tencent.

"In the past, the animation moviemakers had to guess what youngsters wanted to watch. This time no puzzles, just tailored to customer demand," he tells China Daily on phone.