Wrath of the Lich King banned in China? (Answer: No)

Source: New York-based business site Silicon Alley Insider. What we heard: With online ad dollars drying up faster than the Aral Sea, blogs and Web sites are scrambling to generate traffic. One time-honored tactic is the sensationalist headline, a few words that greatly exaggerate a situation to...

Source: New York-based business site Silicon Alley Insider.

What we heard: With online ad dollars drying up faster than the Aral Sea, blogs and Web sites are scrambling to generate traffic. One time-honored tactic is the sensationalist headline, a few words that greatly exaggerate a situation to attract unsuspecting newshounds in search of the latest scuttlebutt.

Case in point: Today's article on Silicon Alley Insider, which bore the banner headline "New World of Warcraft Banned in China." In the piece, author Eric Krangel proclaimed without hesitation that Activision Blizzard's "World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a blockbuster hit in the West, has been banned from sale in China by Chinese government censors."

Krangel's apparent conviction stemmed from a less sturdy source: a post on the East Asia finance blog JLM Pacific Epoch that doesn't mention a ban at all. That site, in turn, references a news report on the Chinese-language search engine Sohu, which cited "unnamed sources" as saying that "The [Chinese] government has rejected two applications by the second expansion for The9's licensed MMORPG World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King." The9 is Blizzard's localization partner in China, and currently operates World of Warcraft and its first expansion, The Burning Crusade, in the territory.

The official story: "As a matter of practice, we don't comment on rumors and speculation. World of Warcraft continues to operate as normal in mainland China, and we're continuing to work with our local partner, The9, toward the launch of Wrath of the Lich King there. An official announcement will be made once it's ready to go."--Blizzard rep.

Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus. Sure, the Chinese government rejected The9's application to launch The Wrath of the Lich King...just like it held up the The Burning Crusade launch in 2007. After The9 removed content that Beijing censors found objectionable--in this case, skeletons, for some reason--the expansion launched without any further hitches. Blizzard reps expressed confidence that the already triple-platinum Wrath of the Lich King will follow a similar path to release and success in the monstrous, massively multiplayer-mad market.

98 Comments

  • zxyspeed

    Posted Apr 7, 2009 11:42 pm PT

    http://wow.17173.com/content/2009-04-08/20090408102159006.shtml

    this is a link about chinese wow's news
    it's so funny

  • jagus12

    Posted Apr 3, 2009 7:12 pm PT

    Why did they banned skeletons only anyway? Thats some strange stuff...

    PD: xXFr34k_0uTXx, you fail because of doing such a bad joke...

  • jmrwacko

    Posted Mar 31, 2009 11:05 am PT

    Hi I'm an American and you're Chinese. Your government is evil and my government is so much cooler because it only censors sexual content, not gratuitous violence or traditionally sensitive images. Why? Because I'm American, dammit! OMG China/North Korea/Cuba AXIS OF EVIL fear teh commies!11 (sarcasm)

  • noclue_27

    Posted Mar 31, 2009 10:17 am PT

    Wrath has killed WoW for me : /

  • xXFr34k_0uTXx

    Posted Mar 31, 2009 5:09 am PT

    Why was the skeleton sad when he went to the movies?

    Because he had noBODY to go with. =D

    .... skeletons?!

  • Amnesiac23

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 10:56 pm PT

    I think most of the American public has an awful view of China. Yes, there is more censorship than there is here, but it's no where near as bad as it is made out to be. I think many Americans need to do more research on forgein countries, seeing as the schools don't teach a **** thing, and then make an opinion.

  • mrnice2k6

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 7:48 pm PT

    boo china

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 3:32 pm PT

    Ahh China and Gamespot go hand in hand with their censorship. Talk bad and you get punished even thou your comment isn't in violation of anything.

  • otanikun

    Posted Mar 30, 2009 8:48 am PT

    Yeah, I doubt they would find anything questionable with the game, I mean come on , it's pure fantasy and not based on any reality, unless your some nutcase that thinks this is real.
    But come on skeletons? How is that questionable? It's a dead dude trying to kill you, magic, something that does not exist in the real world; I laughed a little at that part.

  • Gao_Wuji

    Posted Mar 29, 2009 10:58 pm PT

    I am a foreigner living in Beijing. I just simply want to point out that censorship here is not as bad as most people think. Most censorship has little to do with politics and more to do with "decency". I ofcourse don't agree with the practice, but remember that many organizations in the US and other countries have been pushing for the same kind of censorship, luckily without success. And also don't have the misconception that the Chinese are all communists. I am my own style of socialist, and I can tell you that very few Chinese are socialists.

  • zxyspeed

    Posted Mar 26, 2009 1:16 am PT

    if you know chinese,you can feel our feeling

    当世界上所有国家都站在同一水平的情况下，我们仍在奋斗别人早已不干的事。最为可笑的是CWOW的广告词：做你从未做过的事。中国的媒体将其戏称为：做别人早已不做的事！
    为什么其他国家都能办到的事在这里办不到？一个游戏而已，何必让政府大动干戈的？
    我们只不过想和全世界一样玩一款游戏，这个要求过分吗？

  • zxyspeed

    Posted Mar 26, 2009 1:12 am PT

    Government tell us , this game is fill bloody, violence, and superstition.so we can't let this game being our country.that's very ridiculous isn't it?

  • zxyspeed

    Posted Mar 26, 2009 1:06 am PT

    I'm a wow player from China... My english is poor,so..
    Today is Mar 26, 2009 . CWOW(we called chinese wow is Cwow) is still Version3.05
    most of our friends give up this game.we don't why! why!??why skeletons are a problem?
    why we don't like with other country in the world?
    it's just a game!

  • ultima_pi

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 3:28 pm PT

    this just reeks of bad judgment on chinas part i mean that its not exactly out of character for the china and the other Marxist pigs like north Korea and Cuba to make poor decisions on how to keep there citizens happy perhaps the should rethink there hole censorship system or there leaders might end up like those in Russia

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 2:27 pm PT

    this is the first story i seen gamespot say its bogus

  • hbwaff

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 2:20 am PT

    anther,2005,when wow first come to china ,all was fine.
    but,the when 燃烧的远征 comes, Skeleton……

  • hbwaff

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 1:56 am PT

    nathanchang,you are entirely liar！yes，china is that fuking place which you talk about。But it is 30 years ago when the Cultural Revolution Movement！ NOW，you can insult MAO,HU,WEN,Communist Party even in the Police station（by Chinese of couse and don’t insult the police）。
    In my view，china gov wants the lacal online game grow up in this Special movement

  • nathanchang

    Posted Mar 15, 2009 4:48 am PT

    Clare0626 are you a kid who is deceived by the gov of China?Everyone in mainland of China knows that you are NOT free to express your opinion,let alone go anywhere...It's not that the people from China differ from the people from the overseas,it's not that the values of the Chinese differ from the foreigner,it's just that the ruler of China always ignor the voice of common people.

  • clare0626

    Posted Mar 14, 2009 11:03 pm PT

    Lots of people here donot know China just like they don't know other world. Learn more about Chinese,please come to China(it's open to all people and you are free to go anywhere)and check what you got in your local place is true or not

  • jon181

    Posted Mar 14, 2009 9:08 pm PT

    It seems more likely there is a problem between blizzard and the local provider like their was with the burning crusade, with the local provider not wanting to buy it cas he was already making lotsa money.

  • BattleSword1

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 4:11 pm PT

    In communist China, game bans you!

  • Link3301

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 3:23 pm PT

    I agree with Katsumoto, don't insult China just because it's different. Also I agree the skeletons are an excuse world of warcraft and its expansion the burning crusade had players corpses becoming skeletons whne they rezzed. Also don't forgetplace like naxxrammas the had plenty walking skeletons

  • _Katsumoto

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 2:23 pm PT

    adams35 Posted Mar 13, 2009 12:39 pm GMT Hey, I'm a Chinese and living in Mainland.
    First, China is a commie country, but it's not my fault. and I can visit any website on the internet (by proxy) which the gov forbidden.
    Second, in China, if you are not impairing the gov or CPC's reign, money is the most important thing people considering.
    Can WLK really impair gov's reign? of course not. so it's all about the money thing, and the skeleton is just an excuse. gov officers want to share some profit the9(agency) earns, want the9 to bribe more money, and also local game makers give the gov pressure to hold up WLK. so WLK is now late.
    Chinese people are not strange, so did these Chinese officers. All the reasons are excuses, like skeletons, the root reason is the money.!

    I'd say, do u really know the exactly details about the reason of delaying? I don't like the Chinese officers neither, but have you check the truth about the reason of delaying. Do the all officers are so bad in your point of view. Seeing is believing. Why China's image are so bad in the world, part of the contribution due to the people just like you.

  • prdroog

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 10:38 am PT

    China...

  • jorgepimp321

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 8:54 am PT

    well, china will only allow the game if the mod 1 achivment that well read achivent now requires that you read the books
    maos little red book and the communist manifesto O_o
    HAHAHAHAHHAHA
    oh, and they must support the share all loot thing,lol

  • adams35

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 5:39 am PT

    Hey, I'm a Chinese and living in Mainland.
    First, China is a commie country, but it's not my fault. and I can visit any website on the internet (by proxy) which the gov forbidden.
    Second, in China, if you are not impairing the gov or CPC's reign, money is the most important thing people considering.
    Can WLK really impair gov's reign? of course not. so it's all about the money thing, and the skeleton is just an excuse. gov officers want to share some profit the9(agency) earns, want the9 to bribe more money, and also local game makers give the gov pressure to hold up WLK. so WLK is now late.
    Chinese people are not strange, so did these Chinese officers. All the reasons are excuses, like skeletons, the root reason is the money.!

  • KoruKinshi

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 12:40 am PT

    Thank God I don't live in China.

  • Azure_al

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 11:34 pm PT

    There are other reasons why china gov delayed wotlk for months.
    2009 is considered as the most serious year of financial crisis. As the whole local games hit the lowest ever in the history, how can a company from us earn so much money from a communist country simply through an online game? as a result, the gov just found some excuses to delay the launch of wotlk. The skeleton is just one of these excuses. You can find something more horrible in films or tv series. The image of skeleton in wow is ridiculous, compared to some other images in those allowed thrillers.

    But anyway, the gov will finally allow the launch of wotlk becuz the local operation company called the 9th is made up of operating wow. If wotlk is banned, more people will lose their job in this financial crisis year. The china gov has been head-ached will the job problems since last year so they will not add something more serious to their mind. However, the detailed date of wotlk's launching in china is still unknown.

  • GordisDreadsong

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 7:57 pm PT

    Skeletons are not problems, the game itself did. Since WOW is too good, it attracted too many players from local online games. That's why WLK delayed and delayed again. P.S: I was a product manager of online game in China.

  • Lopur94

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 5:02 pm PT

    lol, what did skeletons ever do to China?

  • wrednajasobaka

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 2:47 pm PT

    This is an outrage! Why is China oppressing skeletons?

  • TruPrince

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 2:24 pm PT

    thats china for ya

  • alkaline_DnB

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 2:16 pm PT

    sweet, this means 8 year olds working in Chinese sweat shops can still power level my characters!!!

  • chappy_man

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 1:23 pm PT

    so skeletons are a problem?????????? weird sensor.

  • KzerXtreme

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 12:40 pm PT

    This article educated me about the Aral Sea . Also, if you go to google maps and zoom in to a place like Aralsk, you can see abandoned boats on the land.

  • akazergling2

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 12:09 pm PT

    Huh, I just thought of something. The new Death Knight class deals heavily with undead minions.

    Seems like it would require quite a bit of accomidations to modify them into normal bodies. Wonder how they will do it? Anyways yeah I bet it'll get approved. It'll just take time.

  • Alizerothree

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 11:36 am PT

    I AM CHINA

  • -DCCshadow-

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 10:20 am PT

    tis rumour control chill out headlines have to catch peoples attention r no one would read them

  • shadystxxx

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 10:05 am PT

    Why are people moaning this is how rumour control has always been done(well it has for aslong as i have been reading it).

    Thor always start's the article with a question about the rumour.

    Why are people so uptight? if the headline said Wrath of the lich king NOT banned in china would you not have read it then.

    Some people just like to moan.

  • BrideInDream

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 8:34 am PT

    i toss and turn
    ...........

  • Joker_268

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 8:29 am PT

    Day N Nite
    ................

  • haloshalo

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 8:28 am PT

    lol just a marketing strategy, will fail cause Chinese are no stupid to waste time

  • swamptick

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 8:22 am PT

    WoW rocks.

  • thorsen-ink GameSpot staff member

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 8:03 am PT

    Again, for those who didn't see my comment below, I got like 10 e-mails about this rumor, so I felt like we had to address it. The name of the column is "Rumor Control" after all. I point out it's false IN THE HEADLINE so I am not suckering anyone in with a sensationalist headline, lewis2112.

  • lewis2112

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 7:19 am PT

    how ironic "One time-honored tactic is the sensationalist headline, a few words that greatly exaggerate a situation to attract unsuspecting newshounds in search of the latest scuttlebutt." that is exactly what gamespot just did, how weird

  • Vasot

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 7:07 am PT

    I think WoW is cr*p anyway.
    I never liked this cartoony multiplayer click fest.

    If China wants to ban it i do not mind.

  • yaba

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 6:36 am PT

    Warshock I would watch that show. You have a winner on your hands!

  • Warshock

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 5:46 am PT

    Skeletons?.... that's weird... and ComboTroop.. EXACTLY!! it's not like Jack the Ripper Played video games and wanted to stab some prostitutes.... Unless he went into the future and played GTA.... wait a minute... I think that sparks up a TV Mini Series!! AWESOME!

  • ComboTroop

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 5:32 am PT

    Ah! Some more BS laws, hows about we invade this country and free their people, and show them, they can do whatever they want, without dicator's shadows overlooking their every godforsaken move!!!!!!!!!!!! And before you say im American, im British!!! FOR FREEDOM!!!!! xD Stupiding *BEEP* Laws, England are getting like this too, with Stabbings, they relate it to videogames cause they are too stupid to reliase that videogames don't 90% the time, moviate people to kill! Lalalalalala, stupid people, in the wrong places!

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