World of Warcraft and Other Blizzard Games to Be Pulled From China
Blizzard Entertainment is suspending most of its gaming services in China after failing to renew a licensing deal with NetEase, a Chinese gaming partner.
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Blizzard Entertainment is suspending most of its gaming services in China after failing to renew a licensing deal with NetEase, a Chinese gaming partner.
Silence has followed the agency’s approval for 45 new video game titles on April 11, leaving the industry in the dark. China has the world’s biggest mobile-gaming market with an estimated US$49bil revenue, one investor estimates.
Tencent, smaller peer NetEase and over 200 other firms pledged in September to self-regulate to combat gaming addiction.
China lifted a nine-month freeze on gaming licences after companies, including industry leader Tencent made major adjustments to their business practices and due to the ban's economic fallout, industry sources and analysts said.
Omdia senior analyst Chenyu Cui provides a look into publisher operations, top grossing games, and regulation effects