Retail sales and factory investment also eased, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

BBC: Chinese industrial growth slows again

The most notable statistics show that sales of a game are split 70-30 between the developer and Steam, whereas retail copies are 70-30 the other way, with developers getting the short end of the stick while retailers take a bigger chunk of the pie.

FORBES: The Numbers Behind Steam's Success

Internet shopping is one of the retail sector's few growth areas, with the Office for National Statistics reporting on Thursday that online sales were 11% higher in October than a year earlier.

BBC: Online shopping technology faces OFT focus