The ongoing saga of NetEase trying to get government approval to operate World of Warcraft in China may have come to an unfortunate and depressing end.
According to WoW.com, China’s General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) has abruptly halted their review of the game and demanded NetEase cease all new subscriptions, calling it “illegal behavior.” While it’s true NetEase shouldn’t have jumped the gun and started signing up new users before the game was fully approved, we should remember that:
- The game was approved while being run by its previous publisher The9, so it’s not a stretch to assume the game could be quickly re-approved
- Those in charge of the approval process may have intentionally dragged their feet
Well, looks like it’s back to crowding the WoW servers in Taiwan. I’m sure the fans are thrilled. But if Chinese gamers feel their mouse finger itching, there are plenty of Chinese browser games and MMORPGs to invest their time and RMB into. It seems almost too convenient.
Aha. The dim bulb brightens.
Related Posts:
