Chinese Govt. Blocking Release of WoW: Wrath of the Lich King
Chinese Govt. Blocking Release of WoW: Wrath of the Lich King
March 11, 2009
World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King has encountered some bureaucratic stumbling blocks on its way to the lucrative Chinese market.
JLM Pacific Epoch reports that WLK has been rejected twice by Chinese regulatory officials:
The applications were rejected due to content that didn't meet requirements, including a city raid and skeleton characters; the submitted version did not contain WLK's Death Knight first hero class, said the insider.
WoW game developer Blizzard Entertainment recently deleted a link on the game's North American site to the site's simplified Chinese version, said the report.
And, as Massively notes:
World of Warcraft has undergone changes specific to the Chinese market in the past, namely removing skeletons altogether in order to receive approval to operate the game in mainland China.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
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Comments
This is probably either ;
A) China's usual pattern; the govt. posses every last bit of power to be had in the country, and if the citizens disagree with it's decisions, jail/execution time!
B) An actual effort to fight gold farming?
Skeletons.
FUCKING SKELETONS.
WHO WOULD BAN SKELETONS?
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY CENSORSHIP OF SKELETONS.
This had better be some "gold farming block" disguised as a "censorship content", because I will give up on China if this is not the case.
| XBOX LIVE GamerTag: Harry Miste | Steam ID: Harry Miste | PSN ID: HarryMiste |
WHO WOULD BAN SKELETONS?
The Chinese, obviously. The visible bones of undead player characters have already been removed from Chinese versions of the game on its original release, so this isn't all that surprising. It all comes down to cultural differences. I'm German, our politicians ban violence and swastikas, whereas the US has issues with nudity and views on gun laws that appear downright bizarre to me. The Chinese have issues with skeletons, so they ban that - in the end, it's the same everywhere.
I remember a news post somewhere - I think GP covered it - about Japan not allowing Dead Space due to the use of 'spirits' and ghosts in the game, but that turned out to be fake, possibly made up by someone in marketing or fabricated somehow.
Likewise, this incident with WOTLK can't be a cultural decision, surely? There were skeletons in the original game but apparently they were removed, in which case what on earth were they replaced with? Ghouls? Generic humans?
The Chinese have always been against the representation of skeletons or undead in media (probably has to do with ancestor worship or something).
I remember that, mabye as early as 10 years ago, Magic: The Gathering cards released in China had alternate artwork. (http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/16527_Insider_Trading_8_Foreign_... -scroll down to #6)
There was an interesting article on this, with comparisons, on the WotC site, but I can't find it anymore.
China: Trying to conquer the world one day at a time. First that U.S. ship they claim was in their waters (they think they own the whole fucking Pacific), silencing the people of Tibet on the 50th anniversary of them being douchebags, and now this.
When Jack Thompson runs his mouth, does anyone really care what he has to say anymore?
Don't forget the 1200 people still missing after the riots a while ago. (How long ago was that, before the Olympics?)
@ Michael Chandra
oh, let's not forget about the genocide in Tibet, and how the government kidnapped Falu Gong Practioner by killing them and harvested and selling the organ to the black market. Let's also not forget they send some of their "hardware" to Sudan to help with more killing in Darfur. Last but not least:
-they ban Command & Conquer: Generals (like that game a lot), just because it has China in there. So how come USA hasn't complained about the game (I know US made it).
How do you get rid of skeletons in something named after a Lich?
You can't and that is why they banned the whole expansion.
E. Zachary Knight
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I wonder why they don't even have info about the Chinese version of WoW, period, on their site anymore? Maybe they decided to stop bothering?
While I am too pissed off at this ,the WoW logo looks badass in that writing.
Just one more reason I'm glad I live the US
So does this mean they didnt have a Dub of Evil Dead in China?
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"Don't Run, You'll Just Die Tired."
Skeletons aside, I wonder why a city raid would be involved in this round. The raid targets have been there since launch, is it only that it's a specific goal with rewards for completing, and not just a late night passtime for raiding guilds?
Probably.. having the freedom to run around and lay waste to cities wasn't an official goal or reward-bearing event. Even then, it was probably inching towards "red flag" (no pun intended) territory. Now, it's more akin to breaking into a full sprint.. can't have the youngsters putting thoughts of tiananmen-style rebellion together with city raid coordination, can we?
"Life sucks, get a fuckin helmet" - Denis Leary
That "city raid" will probably be the Culling of Stratholme event in Caverns of Time.