World of Warcraft to return to China: After a 14-year break due to the end of its cooperation with game creator Activision Blizzard, Chinese video gaming giant NetEase has announced that popular titles such as World of Warcraft will return to China this summer.
Outcry from millions of Chinese internet users worried about losing access to popular games was the immediate reaction to the separation between NetEase and Activision Blizzard, which was caused by differences over intellectual property rights. To run legally in China, video games need both a local publisher and official permissions.
Mutual lawsuits were the last straw in the public animosity between the two firms. After a tense October last year, when Microsoft paid an unprecedented $69 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard, a turning point in the gaming business, tensions greatly decreased.
Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, thanked the Chinese gaming community for their consistent support over the years and vowed to bring back Blizzard’s legendary worlds with a fresh commitment to quality and hard work. In addition to World of Warcraft, other cherished properties like Hearthstone, Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft will also make a triumphant comeback to China.
Revenue in China’s online gaming sector hit $42 billion at year’s end, up 13% from the previous year, solidifying the country’s position as the top market globally. With a substantial interest in this profitable business, NetEase—the country’s second-largest video games company by revenue, behind Tencent—has a lot to gain.
A strategic partnership has been formed between Microsoft and NetEase, with the goal of bringing new NetEase games to Microsoft’s Xbox and other platforms. By bringing Blizzard’s storied titles back to life in China and investigating potential new partnerships, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer underlined the company’s dedication to increasing gaming accessibility worldwide.
Regulatory hurdles have plagued China’s gambling industry, notwithstanding its economic importance. Beijing restricted underage gamers to one hour of internet gaming time on weekends, holidays, and Fridays in 2021. At the end of last year, officials also unveiled plans to limit in-game sales. Nevertheless, new information implies a change in strategy, as China seems to be reversing its stance on stringent measures meant to address worries about excessive gaming.
Reviving classic titles in partnership with international gaming behemoths heralds a new era of opportunity and creativity in one of the most exciting gaming landscapes on the planet, just as the Chinese gaming market experiences regulatory changes and changes in industry dynamics.
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