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 03/12/10 at 01:54pm
Valdearg: *sigh* I'm friends with some sad, sad people.. If they weren't such good drinking buddies.. Lmao.
Valdearg: *sigh* I'm friends with some sad, sad people.. If they weren't such good drinking buddies.. Lmao.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:54pm
DarkSaber: Pssssh, the answer is Populous.
DarkSaber: Pssssh, the answer is Populous.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:54pm
JDKJ: I'm still in the beavers. Any chance I get, I'm in the beavers. Nut-deep.
JDKJ: I'm still in the beavers. Any chance I get, I'm in the beavers. Nut-deep.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:54pm
Valdearg: Seriously? I mean.. Couldn't they have picked a different topic to argue about?
Valdearg: Seriously? I mean.. Couldn't they have picked a different topic to argue about?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:53pm
Valdearg: Wow. Two of my friends are arguing on my facebook about whether Age of Mythology or Black and White was the better God Game...
Valdearg: Wow. Two of my friends are arguing on my facebook about whether Age of Mythology or Black and White was the better God Game...
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:52pm
DarkSaber: I was having a shower. That time of the week again. Boys Brigade? Never heard of them, but I was in the Beavers.
DarkSaber: I was having a shower. That time of the week again. Boys Brigade? Never heard of them, but I was in the Beavers.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:44pm
JDKJ: Your deafening silence says it all, Saber.
JDKJ: Your deafening silence says it all, Saber.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:39pm
JDKJ: Be honest, Saber. You were in the Boys Brigade when you were a lad, weren't you?
JDKJ: Be honest, Saber. You were in the Boys Brigade when you were a lad, weren't you?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:39pm
DarkSaber: Also, had Schrodinger been hanging about?
DarkSaber: Also, had Schrodinger been hanging about?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:37pm
JDKJ: And did the mice then get to playing?
JDKJ: And did the mice then get to playing?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:35pm
DarkSaber: ah, but was it also out of the bag?
DarkSaber: ah, but was it also out of the bag?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:33pm
JDKJ: And didn't the cat have to be curious nine times before its curiosity got the better of it?
JDKJ: And didn't the cat have to be curious nine times before its curiosity got the better of it?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:30pm
JDKJ: Keep it real, Saber. You know your Christmas Day wouldn't be complete if you didn't have a listen to the Queen's Speech.
JDKJ: Keep it real, Saber. You know your Christmas Day wouldn't be complete if you didn't have a listen to the Queen's Speech.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:29pm
Andrew Eisen: "Curiosity killed the cat." Makes you wonder just what that cat was doing when that phrase was coined.
Andrew Eisen: "Curiosity killed the cat." Makes you wonder just what that cat was doing when that phrase was coined.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:28pm
chadachada321: And to really bring this full circle...tradition would have "Under God" omitted from the pledge, because it was only added in 54
chadachada321: And to really bring this full circle...tradition would have "Under God" omitted from the pledge, because it was only added in 54
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:27pm
Valdearg: I never understood humanity's insistence on adhering to tradition. But hey, as long as there's no harm done, I don't really care, Lol.. Like you guys are saying, sometimes it's downright entertaining.
Valdearg: I never understood humanity's insistence on adhering to tradition. But hey, as long as there's no harm done, I don't really care, Lol.. Like you guys are saying, sometimes it's downright entertaining.
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:23pm
DarkSaber: I know, makes you wonder how a practical joke becomes a centuries old tradition. I doubt when it first happened people looked at each other said "We should do this EVERY year!"
DarkSaber: I know, makes you wonder how a practical joke becomes a centuries old tradition. I doubt when it first happened people looked at each other said "We should do this EVERY year!"
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:21pm
JDKJ: That thing where the Commons slam the door in Black Rob's face and make him bang on it before they'll open up always makes me laugh. Who comes up with this shit?
JDKJ: That thing where the Commons slam the door in Black Rob's face and make him bang on it before they'll open up always makes me laugh. Who comes up with this shit?
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:21pm
Valdearg: @DS: Nice... That's better than in America, where 40% of Americans still think he was a tool of Satan.. Ugh..
Valdearg: @DS: Nice... That's better than in America, where 40% of Americans still think he was a tool of Satan.. Ugh..
Posted 03/12/10 at 01:21pm
Andrew Eisen: Well nuts. My library is closed for several weeks for recarpeting.
Andrew Eisen: Well nuts. My library is closed for several weeks for recarpeting.
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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
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
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?
---------------------------------
"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.