BBK Rise From Game Console Legacy

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Question: Why did BBK Electronics grow in the 1990s and 2000s, and what is its connection to Duan Yongping and the Xiao Ba Wang (小霸王) game player?

Answer:

The Full Story: Duan Yongping, Xiao Ba Wang, and the Rise of BBK Electronics

Part 1 — Duan Yongping and Xiao Ba Wang (小霸王 / Subor), 1989–1995

Before BBK ever existed, its founder Duan Yongping built his reputation at a company called Subor, whose Chinese name is 小霸王 (Xiǎo Bàwáng), meaning “Little Tyrant” or “Little Conqueror.”

In 1989, Yihua Group appointed graduate Duan Yongping as director of Nihwa Electronics Factory — a struggling arcade game manufacturer in Zhongshan, Guangdong. Duan oversaw the development of the company’s first console, the D25, a Famiclone given the name 小霸王. The console sold at a much lower price than importing the official Nintendo Famicom, becoming very popular in China.

The Subor learning computer became a sensation in China during the early 1990s, mirroring the success of gaming consoles like Nintendo’s Famicom but with a distinct educational twist. This success not only revived the company but also established Duan as a rising star in China’s electronics industry.

Why did Xiao Ba Wang succeed so well?

The Little Tyrant was a clone of Nintendo’s Famicom video game console cleverly marketed as a study device and famously endorsed by Jackie Chan. To a generation (or two), Little Tyrant was their first introduction to gaming.
Subor’s high quality and competitive price made it stand out among Chinese fakes. Many in China had their first taste of gaming through Little Tyrant.
In 1991, Xiaobawang invested 400,000 yuan to broadcast its first advertisement on CCTV. It spent huge sums on marketing and held various offline activities. At its peak, Jackie Chan was even hired as the brand’s spokesperson.
With Duan’s effort, Subor soon became the best manufacturer of the “learning computer,” and video-game installations generated a gain of over 200 million RMB from 1994 to 1995.

The genius marketing trick was packaging a game console as an educational device — parents paid for what they thought was a study tool, and children got to play Nintendo-compatible games. This concept of blending education with entertainment became the blueprint Duan would apply at BBK.

Part 2 — Why Duan Left Subor and Founded BBK in 1995

Duan Yongping had applied for shareholding reform of Xiaobawang, but he failed in the end. In 1995, Duan Yongping chose to leave Xiaobawang and set up BBK in Dongguan, moving into the domestic wireless communications industry.

Guangdong BBK Electronics Corporation was established on 18 September 1995, in Dongguan, Guangdong, China, by Duan Yongping. Due to the conflict between Duan and the boss of Subor, Duan Yongping decided to leave Subor and create another company, making a commitment not to engage in student computer-related products within one year.

Part 3 — How BBK Grew in the 1990s

In 1996, BBK released their first product line — the corded telephone. After the promised one year, BBK released their first student computer product “BBG Student Computer (Floppy No.1).” Once released, it achieved great success, making BBK one of the three major student computer companies in China, and finally became the most popular student computer product in China according to an investigation by China National Radio in July 1997.

BBK’s growth in the 1990s was driven by several key strategies:

Aggressive advertising spend: In 1996, Duan reportedly spent 11 million US dollars to secure a prime advertising slot on China’s most-watched television channel. He even hired international stars like Jet Li and Arnold Schwarzenegger to appear in BBK’s ads. This bold investment paid off — BBK built strong brand recognition in China.
Riding the VCD/DVD wave: BBK began operations amid China’s economic reforms, capitalizing on the rising demand for home entertainment and communication devices during the mid-1990s electronics boom. The company’s initial product lineup centered on video compact disc (VCD) players, which quickly gained traction through aggressive marketing and quality improvements, positioning BBK as a leading vendor in China by the late 1990s.
Smart decentralization: Duan divided BBK into three factories — the AV factory (predecessor of Oppo), the telephone factory (predecessor of Vivo), and the computer and video game factory (predecessor of BBK Education Electronics) — each operating independently. The headquarters decentralized marketing and after-sales rights; the three factories regularly reconciled accounts with headquarters.

Part 4 — How BBK Grew in the 2000s

By the late 1990s, BBK faced intense competition from global electronics giants such as Sony and Panasonic. Duan realized the company needed to evolve if it wanted to survive. In 1999, he restructured BBK into three divisions: Audiovisual Electronics, Education Electronics, and Communications Electronics.

In 1999, Duan Yongping divided the three main businesses of BBK into three independent companies: BBK Education Electronics Company, BBK Audiovisual Electronics Company, and BBK Communications Electronics Company. The former heads of the BBK factories became CEOs of three independent new companies and held stakes in each.

It was in the early 2000s that BBK began to pivot towards the burgeoning mobile phone market, sensing an opportunity to capitalize on the growing demand for mobile communication devices. In 2004, BBK launched its first mobile phone brand, Oppo, with a focus on producing high-quality feature phones and later, smartphones.

Duan’s leadership at BBK emphasized innovation through product evolution, supply chain efficiency via trusted supplier networks, and agile market adaptation, such as high-profile celebrity endorsements and rapid iteration on consumer feedback. He fostered a culture of integrity and competence, empowering his team with autonomy while retaining a minority stake after retiring in 2001, which allowed BBK to scale into a multinational powerhouse during China’s electronics expansion in the 2000s.

Part 5 — The Long-Term Legacy

The split of BBK into independent brands became one of the most successful corporate structures in tech history:

This was followed by Vivo in 2009, specializing in smartphones with an emphasis on camera technology and design; OnePlus in 2013 as Oppo’s premium smartphone sub-brand; Realme in 2018 for budget-oriented devices; and iQOO in 2019 as Vivo’s gaming-focused line. These entities enabled BBK to capture significant market share in China’s smartphone sector, with Oppo and Vivo alone holding about 40% domestically by 2018.

In 2020, BBK brands collectively held a 19% share of the global smartphone market, selling over 262 million units — more than Samsung or Huawei.

Meanwhile, after Duan Yongping left, Xiaobawang (Subor) lost its core direction. In 1999, Xiaobawang game consoles reached peak shipment with over 80% market share — but this was the final glory. China’s government banned game consoles outright in 2000, and Subor fell into decline, eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2020.

Summary Table

Era	Duan Yongping’s Company	Key Products	Why It Grew
1989–1995	Subor / 小霸王	NES Famiclone “learning machines”	Low-price Nintendo clone marketed as educational; Jackie Chan ads
1995–1999	BBK (early)	VCD players, cordless phones, student computers	Aggressive CCTV advertising; Duan’s brand-building expertise
1999–2001	BBK (restructuring)	DVD players, educational electronics	Split into 3 independent divisions to improve agility
2004–2010s	Oppo, Vivo, etc.	Feature phones → smartphones	House-of-brands strategy; celebrity marketing; rapid product iteration

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