Skip to main content

World of Warcraft Launches in China

Blizzards World of Warcraft MMORPG game is one of the top online games this year across the world and China’s contribution will only propel Blizzard to new heights. At one point during the beta test in China, Blizzard saw more than 500,000 users playing on their China based servers simultaneously.

A completely rebuilt pricing and security structure had to be developed for the Chinese market. Under the new system users can download the game, but have to activate their account by purchasing an authorized CD. And instead of paying a monthly subscription fee like you would here in the U.S. users in China must buy cards with points on them and then use those points for playing time. Sounds sort of goofy, but security is extremely important to Blizzard.

Recommended Videos

You can read more about this story at Gamesindustry.biz

Ian Bell
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
Infinity Nikki might be the coziest (and most stylish) open-world game ever
Nikki looks out at an open world in Infinity Nikki.

I have played plenty of open-world games over the years. I’ve run over pedestrians in the Grand Theft Auto series and slayed minions of the Templars in Assassin’s Creed. I’ve done the never-ending grind of free-to-play offerings with gacha mechanics, such as Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. In these titles, I was always actively on the move, going from point A to point B and tackling every objective imaginable. Now, there’s Infinity Nikki, which is a different (and much gentler) beast entirely.

Marketed as the “coziest open-world game,” the upcoming title brings the popular Nikki mobile series to consoles in style. After playing the Infinity Nikki demo at a special media session during the Tokyo Game Show, and speaking to Infold Games global public relations manager Zexu Shi, I can see the appeal. The world activities themselves are relaxing, and the grind isn’t nearly as incessant as games like it. Even the treatment of animals is humane. All of those choices confirm that the marketing pitch isn't an exaggeration; Infinity Nikki really is a cozy change of pace that the open-world genre needs.
Exploring in style
My one-hour-long play session began with the titular Nikki and her pet cat, Momo, trapped inside an instanced dungeon. There, I had to make my way across train cars by jumping off ledges and gliding to reach the next platform. What surprised me initially was how Nikki’s clothing instantly changed whenever I glided, from something that looked like a white bridal gown to that of a shimmering blue summer dress.

Read more
Assassin’s Creed Shadows delayed into 2025 as Ubisoft overhauls launch plans
Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

Ubisoft is making some big, last-minute changes. The next game in the Assassin's Creed franchise has been pushed into next year, according to a statement the company published Wednesday, due in part to the lower-than-expected performance of Star Wars Outlaws.

Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is set in feudal Japan and has two playable protagonists, has been delayed from November 15, 2024, to February 14, 2025, to give the developers more time to "polish and refine the experience."

Read more
Concord lead reportedly steps down in wake of launch disaster
A character wields a rocket launcher in Concord.

Firewalk Studios, the developer behind PlayStation live-service hero shooter Concord, has apparently lost its lead director in the wake of the game's disastrous launch.

Kotaku's Ethan Gach reports that game director Ryan Ellis told staff last week that he would be stepping down from the role and moving into a more support position, according to multiple sources.

Read more