WOW row inside Chinese government intensifies
Culture Ministry castigates rival agency for having "overstepped its authority" by revoking World of Warcraft permits; Blizzard claims MMORPG still "online and operational" in China.
Earlier this week, one arm of the Chinese government attempted to shut down local operations of World of Warcraft. Now, another Beijing regulatory agency has declared the move went too far--raising further questions about the fate of Blizzard Entertainment's massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the country.
According to the New York Times (registration required), the Chinese Ministry of Culture denounced the move by the Chinese General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) to suspend WOW operations in the Asian nation. On Monday, Reuters reported that GAPP had revoked the permit needed to operate the MMORPG from localization partner NetEase, citing "gross violations" of Chinese law.
In a Wednesday article in the Beijing newspaper Economic Information Daily (translated by the Times), a Culture Ministry official declared, "In regards to the World of Warcraft incident, the General Administration of Press and Publication has clearly overstepped its authority. They do not have the authority to penalize online gaming."
The dispute is part of a larger dispute between the GAPP and Culture Ministry over which can regulate China's booming online gaming market. Hong Kong-based Citi Investment Research & Analysis analyst Alicia Yap told the Times that online gaming revenues rose 50 percent in 2008 to $2.9 billion--10 times what it was five years ago. That total is expected to more than double by 2013, said Yap.
So where does the Chinese government's internecine bureaucratic battles leave World of Warcraft? "That aside from some downtime tied to the standard maintenance schedule, the game is online, operational, and hasn't been suspended [in China]," a Blizzard rep told GameSpot.
Earlier this year, the Culture Ministry made headline for summarily banning online "gangster games" in China.
Enshrouded - Melodies of The Mire | Official Update Trailer Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble - SEGA Pass: Sonic Team Reveal Trailer Quickest Ways to Get Ready For Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Diabotical Rogue - Official Cinematic Gameplay Trailer 14 Upcoming PS5 Exclusive Games To Keep Your Eye On STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Stars On Life in the High Republic | Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg Genshin Impact - "Clorinde: Shadow Hunting" | Collected Miscellany Mortal Kombat 1 – Invasions Season 6: Reptile Trailer Destiny 2: The Final Shape | Cinematic Launch Trailer Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds - Official Expansion Announcement Trailer Hogwarts Legacy - Official Summer Update Explainer How Destiny BARELY Made It 10 Years
Please enter your date of birth to view this video
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Join the conversation