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NetEase Lays Off Staffers Who Worked On Blizzard Games In China As Part Of Partnership's End | MMORP

SystemSystem Member UncommonPosts: 12,599
edited January 2023 in News & Features Discussion

imageNetEase Lays Off Staffers Who Worked On Blizzard Games In China As Part Of Partnership's End | MMORPG.com

NetEase and Blizzard couldn't come to an agreement on their existing licensing deal, which means the latter's games will be pulled from China's market. As a result, according to The South China Morning Post, NetEase has begun laying off or reassigning those team members who maintained Blizzard's games.

Read the full story here


Comments

  • MarknMarkn Member UncommonPosts: 308
    I wouldn't license it in china either. Netease makes all the money and blizzard gets a fraction of it.
    starstorm777Tuor7Andemnon
  • imlazyxdimlazyxd Member UncommonPosts: 81
    Well that was cold of them.
  • TalinTalin Member UncommonPosts: 923
    I view this less of a Blizzard issue and more of a China one. China's regulations continue to make it harder for outside companies to operate (and/or operate with a meaningful margin) while they push their own properties outwards to maximize revenue streams.

    I know the rest of the world looks at the large China population as a great "opportunity" but it is one of the most difficult to actually sell into and can almost arbitrarily change the landscape and laws at any moment in time based on the whims of the totalitarian state.
  • UNH0LYEV1LUNH0LYEV1L Member UncommonPosts: 572
    Good maybe if Blizzard divorces itself from China it will come back to being a reasonably decent video game company.
  • AndemnonAndemnon Member UncommonPosts: 179
    Did some soul searching and came to the conclusion that when it comes to Netease, there wasn't any room in my soul for any sympathy, that Blizzard cut ties once the contract lapsed, i see that as a positive move, sadly, i doubt it will be the end of it, and Blizzard most likely form a contract with another Chinese company. 
  • KnightFalzKnightFalz Member EpicPosts: 4,522

    imlazyxd said:

    Well that was cold of them.



    They were hired for work that will no longer exist. What other than the termination of their employment did you expect likely to happen?
  • zakheakazakheaka Newbie CommonPosts: 9
    edited January 2023
    China's total population will decline in 2022
    Declining population and rapidly changing demographics are shrinking profits
    And China's laws are very unfriendly to the game industry
    Play time for teenagers in China is severely restricted
    In order to maintain a "correct gaming environment", China requires all games to be operated through Chinese-approved agents who make a lot of money and steal "technology" through "cooperation agreements"
    I hope Blizzard can re-evaluate joint projects with Chinese game companies
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