• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Blizzard will pull ‘World of Warcraft’ from China as NetEase deal ends

https://news.yahoo.com/blizzard-netease-gaming-partnership-china-092119303.html



HONG KONG (AP) — American game developer Blizzard Entertainment said Thursday it will suspend most of its game services in mainland China after current licensing agreements with Chinese game company NetEase end, sending NetEase’s shares tumbling.
Blizzard, which partnered with NetEase in 2008 to offer popular games such as World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Diablo in mainland China, said in a statement the two companies did not reach a deal to renew the agreements “that is consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees.”
The partnership is set to expire next January. Blizzard said new sales will be “suspended in the coming days.”
NetEase shares plunged as much as 15% in Hong Kong following the news.



Apparently this is because the CCP government is requiring foreign MMO companies to share their Chinese user data with the government, and Blizzard balked, so all foreign MMOs will probably be pulled from China eventually.
 
haha, while I pity the Mainland players, it's good to see even ActiBlizz is viewing that market as too much trouble to keep. I hope other companies would follow this example too. at the very least, this means less design censorship that devs have to keep.
 
giphy.gif
 

Holammer

Member
If it happens, NetEase will quickly knock out a bunch of new games suspiciously similar to Blizzard products. With 'World of Socialist Values' & 'Neighborhood Watch' leading the way.
 
And Blizzard, for me personally.
Nah. Blizzard is awesome, I can't wait for Dragonflight and Diablo 4, and the new survivor game. Yeah, they made mistakes and had some issues recently, but none of that is my problem, that is their problem. A scandal won't be affecting my enjoyment of the games I play.

Anyone who starts acting all emo about it, is a fucking wimp. Shit happens at every company, but it doesn't effect you or your life, but if you make it affect you and the things you like, then you don't have a life to begin with.
 
Last edited:

Bridges

Member
Good on them, I hope more devs follow suit.

Working with China is going to come back to bite them all in the ass eventually.
 

lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
this going to be a major blow to Microsoft once the acquisition done.
They basically lost majority of the market of MTX revenue there.
 

gothmog

Gold Member
Didn't the media paint the MS/Activision deal in a negative light with the China influence a few weeks ago? And now this? I'd say what a coincidence but there's no such thing.
 
Last edited:

Bernkastel

Ask me about my fanboy energy!
this going to be a major blow to Microsoft once the acquisition done.
They basically lost majority of the market of MTX revenue there.
Chinese WoW MTX is majority of Acti-Bliz revenue? Even with NetEase basically keeping most of the revenue for publishing in China? I need some receipts.
Such a major blow that they put unfavorable terms that made NetEase pull out anyway.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom