As we’ve written time and time again, China is deeply concerned with video game addiction, in particular the potential for children to become addicted to games. The newest move in game addiction prevention comes from corporate giant Tencent, who will be imposing play limits on their game, Honour of Kings*, based on age. The new regulations will... Continue Reading →
China recently implemented new laws requiring video games to disclose the drop rate of items in any kind of loot crate/box/pack sold by the game (for example, DotA, Overwatch, Counter-Strike, etc.), and while most companies complied, Blizzard has been somewhat reluctant to give out their algorithms. Instead of probabilities for each box, or even for... Continue Reading →
In her first round of applications for a US Visa, Hearthstone Global Wild Tournament winner SHRoyalBaiZe (or just BaiZe) was denied her visa, according to a post on her Weibo from June 19. On June 22nd, however, her second visa application was approved, allowing her to participate in the Tournament in the US next week.... Continue Reading →
China is looking forward to the release of Korean sandbox MMO Black Desert. It was released in 2014 in Korea, 2015 in Japan and Russia, and 2016 in North America and Europe. Although it has not been officially announced for release in China, a Chinese website for the game has gone live, indicating a release... Continue Reading →
E3 isn’t an especially popular expo in China for a variety of reasons, in particular because it’s essentially a trade show of games Chinese gamers will never get the opportunity to play. China has its own electronics and gaming expo in the form of ChinaJoy in Shanghai, which includes booths from not only the likes... Continue Reading →
Hearthhead, a site that focuses on all aspects of the online TCG Hearthstone, has started running a regular Chinese meta game analysis column that takes a close look at how players in China are playing the game. The site outlines the most popular and successful classes for the major competitive game types (Standard, Wild, and... Continue Reading →
Game developers have a lot to keep in mind as they create their new IPs. Character design, maps, names, music, coding, troubleshooting, among countless other duties-- what looks good to us, what will our players like, and most importantly, for Chinese developers, what will the government permit. According to a 2010 PPT (still in use as... Continue Reading →
Wondering why you can't walk to a net cafe after school to play some games of League or DotA after your middle school classes? Want to go to an arcade tonight but forgot your ID? Frustrated that GTA continues to be banned? China has some strict laws regarding location and operation of "electronic games centers"... Continue Reading →
AbstractVideo game playing has become a very popular activity globally and has even become recognized as a sport by some countries, including China. The prevalence of problematic video gaming in mainland China is just beginning to be explored, while so-called addiction rehabilitation camps conduct questionable procedures to “cure” those viewed as addicted to video games.... Continue Reading →
Pokemon Go, the mobile game released in selected countries in July 2016, has become a global phenomenon with more than 130 million downloads. Although analysts say China will likely never get Pokemon Go for various reasons (including ties with Google and heavy reliance on GPS), popular online retailer Taobao is advertising Pokemon Go “essentials” on... Continue Reading →
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