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[Last Hearth]

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.

 

[dwish]

Good of them to refuse. Companies need to stick up to the chinese government and not help them monitor their population

 

[Magic Carpet]

Thats alot of Gold Farmers out of work.
Actually I don't even know if thats still a thing. But it was once a really really big thing.

 

[ManaByte]

Good of them to refuse. Companies need to stick up to the chinese government and not help them monitor their population

It’s not that. They got in trouble for someone making a Winnie the Pooh joke on their Diablo Weibo account.

 

[Robot Carnival]

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.

 

[Elder Legend]

Good. Fuck Netease and fuck China.

 

[baphomet]

Funny, just a few years ago Congress had to threaten them to stop being a CCP cuck.

 

[March Climber]

 

[Holammer]

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.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Good. Fuck Netease and fuck China.

And Blizzard, for me personally.

 

[Elder Legend]

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.

 

[Bridges]

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.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

A lot of Chinese addicted to WOW are going to have a crisis once the game is cut off.

 

[lh032]

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]

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.

 

[Orbital2060]

https://gagadget.com/en/games/18943...n-of-the-contract-with-activision-blizzard-a/

It is reported that Kotick personally led the negotiating team and put forward unacceptable conditions for the Chinese side.

Stumbling blocks were not only financial issues, but also aspects relating to copyright and, importantly, control of personal data of all players in the region.

 

[Bernkastel]

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.