World of Warcraft China re-launch
p2pnet news view | Games:- WoW, World of Warcraft, will soon be back in China following a two-month suspension.
Developer Blizzard Entertainment is, “currently working on changes requested by the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP),” says Peoples’ Daily.
“A GAPP official told [state news agency] Xinhua a review of the game was completed on July 19 and it now has preliminary approval.”
Netease, Blizzard’s mainland operator, is allowed to start testing the game on July 30 while Blizzard continues working on the revisions, which will still need final approval from GAPP, says the story, adding:
Once the ‘upgraded’ game gets approval from GAPP, Netease will chose a launch date and the game will be fully accessible once again, says the story.
But, only previously registered players will be allowed to participate in the testing of the amended game, and Netease won’t be allowed to charge or provide registration of new accounts.
WoW was released in 2005 though Blizzard’s mainland partner at the time, The9, says the story, continuing, “The game became hugely popular in China and made $300 million for The9.
Then, Chinese online games operator NetEase.com won the battle waged against The9 for possession of Blizzard`s WoW, p2pnet reported.
WOW was subsequently suspended while the companies and government departments finished re-registration, and while it, “received new official approvals from the Ministry of Culture and GAPP,” says Peoples’Daily.
Anxious gamers who’ve been missing WOW are expected to gather at today’s opening of Chinajoy, an online game carnival in Shanghai, “to demand the game be made available again,” says the story.
“WoW fans vented their anger by logging on to servers belonging to Netease on July 11. After 5,000 signed on at the same time, they succeeded in paralyzing seven servers.”
Players also left nearly 3,000 complaints on the official website of China Consumers’ Association and some players said they planned to sue, it adds.
Peoples’ Daily – Battle set to end for WoW fans, July, 2009
p2pnet – NetEase triumphs in WoW battle, April 18, 2009
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