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Starcraft II: Censorship, Communism, China - Page 3

Forum Index > News
134 CommentsPost a Reply
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CongoJack
Profile Joined February 2009
Canada417 Posts
July 23 2009 17:29 GMT
#41
Ya thanks Emlary this was a very good read.
citi.zen
Profile Joined April 2009
2509 Posts
July 23 2009 17:30 GMT
#42
The issue is not so much communism as totalitarianism. These stories about the gaming industry are sad but tiny compared to other examples. Take the Rio Tinto scandal now: China jailed executives of a huge global company on made-up accusations of "spying". [story ]
Aut viam inveniam, aut faciam.
lwstupidus
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
United States74 Posts
July 23 2009 17:32 GMT
#43
On July 24 2009 01:41 Magic84 wrote:
I can't help but look at China positively overall.

What they do hurts only free time of youth and teenagers. Their freedoms regarding gaming, internet browsing, getting entertainments from western cultures are weak. But young time better spent other way imo (even if you live in s.korea), better spent being socially active. I sure don't see their politics direction as a tragedy. The society may benefit overall producing it's own entertainment and staying inside it's own culture.

China is becoming a monster with economy, science, sports. Very fast. Limited entertainment freedoms among teens is worthy enough price if it actually adds to the growth.


Agree with this guy, in fact, any time spent during leisure activities is stupid and only detrimental to scholarly pursuits.
a penne saved is a penne earned
Strayline
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States330 Posts
July 23 2009 17:35 GMT
#44
Good read OP, thanks.
omninmo
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
2349 Posts
July 23 2009 17:39 GMT
#45
On July 24 2009 01:16 Carnivorous Sheep wrote:
I don't see how communism fits into any of this.

Whenever news like this about China pops up, you get a million people saying "god I hate communism," when it's obvious they have no real grasp on what communism is and how it fits in to this. (protip, it really doesn't)

China has strayed so far from communism without going into a system like the western world that it really is its own unique system. It's not democratic, anyone can tell you that, but it is also nothing like communism as outlined by Marx, nor like the state of the USSR.

So communism isn't causing the censorship of SCII in China, it's the really weird and mostly retarded system that China has of dealing with foreign stuff that is.


this man speaks the truth.
baubo
Profile Joined September 2008
China3370 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-23 17:45:59
July 23 2009 17:42 GMT
#46
Meh. In the end, it doesn't really matter because almost no Chinese will ever bother with a legit copy. Most don't have the money(normal middle-class salaryman makes around $150 a month). And the few rich kids will have parents making them study 24/7 before college anyway. While there are plenty of Chinese people have money, most of the people who buy videogames DO NOT. You can sell genuine, fully loaded hummers and Lincolns in China, but it's laughable to think any American video game will sell well outside of HK, Taiwan, and maybe select cities in the south.

Btw, using # of subscriptions for WoW is misleading, because Chinese users don't pay the ridiculous monthly fee of Americans. They go by hours. I checked a website that says 30RMB, or ~4 dollars, per 66 hours, which seems about right. The prices are vastly different because, once again, the average Chinese gamer just can't afford the regular monthly subscription.

Basically, Blizzard shouldn't worry too much about the market until video game players start making decent money.

Edit: I wish people would stop detract the thread with Communism bashing. It's not relevant. And most people here don't know enough about the topic to comment on it. I would point out all the inaccuracies, but it would further detract the thread.
Meh
Eury
Profile Joined December 2008
Sweden1126 Posts
July 23 2009 17:42 GMT
#47
On July 24 2009 02:32 lwstupidus wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 24 2009 01:41 Magic84 wrote:
I can't help but look at China positively overall.

What they do hurts only free time of youth and teenagers. Their freedoms regarding gaming, internet browsing, getting entertainments from western cultures are weak. But young time better spent other way imo (even if you live in s.korea), better spent being socially active. I sure don't see their politics direction as a tragedy. The society may benefit overall producing it's own entertainment and staying inside it's own culture.

China is becoming a monster with economy, science, sports. Very fast. Limited entertainment freedoms among teens is worthy enough price if it actually adds to the growth.


Agree with this guy, in fact, any time spent during leisure activities is stupid and only detrimental to scholarly pursuits.


Why are you on this forum then?
theqat
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States2856 Posts
July 23 2009 17:44 GMT
#48
On July 24 2009 02:42 baubo wrote:

Btw, using # of subscriptions for WoW is misleading, because Chinese users don't pay the ridiculous monthly fee of Americans. They go by hours. I checked a website that says 30RMB, or ~4 dollars, per 66 hours, which seems about right. The prices are vastly different because, once again, the average Chinese gamer just can't afford the regular monthly subscription.


This point was addressed in this thread--even though something like 33% of WOW subscriptions are Chinese, only 7% of WOW revenue comes from China
eshlow
Profile Joined June 2008
United States5210 Posts
July 23 2009 17:48 GMT
#49
TY. Very good read and insightful.
Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength
orgolove
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
Vatican City State1650 Posts
July 23 2009 17:48 GMT
#50
Man.

All of you in this thread (AND the other thread) who are singing China's praises...


If you weren't being paid by the Chinese government, would you REALLY prefer living under the Chinese system rather than the American system?
초대 갓, 이영호 | First God, Lee Young Ho
emucxg
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
Finland4559 Posts
July 23 2009 17:52 GMT
#51
I expect all Chinese will rush to Korean/Taiwanese (even American/European) SC2 server when SC2 is released =/

GL/HF
Vsepr
Profile Joined July 2009
United States2 Posts
July 23 2009 17:52 GMT
#52
Government relation is important for business everywhere, but especially important in China. If the government don't like you, they can find the most absurd reason you can imagine to kick you out.


That is so true.
The problem with having a nation that's 1.3 billion is that since there are so many people to control:
1) you cannot construct enough pylons, spawn enough overlords, and there won't be space for supply depots.
2) The bureaucracy is too bulky and inefficient, allowing corruption to run rampant. Almost everyone in China who is in the middle or upper class can find a friend of a friend of a friend who works in one of the Ministries or local government offices. This leads to what is now known as "grey income", shady business that is NOT looked down upon because it happens so frequently.

If u are a company seeking a slice of the market in china, chances are, you'd have to bribe your way in, or know a lot of upper gov't officials (i.e. get their kids a high position in ur company or send them to Harvard). the problem Blizzard faces is piracy and enforcement of copyright laws.
There are laws, but the gov't just CAN'T follow through with it. too many people are using pirated software, and the best hackers either get locked down by the gov't or they get hired (to hack other nations, like S.Korea). and usuallly it's the latter cuz the gov't pays well.

I mean, i was walking in a market in Shanghai, and I saw windows XP selling for just under $1. cracked, product key included. that's where i get all my dvd's, u don't go to the theatres to watch movies, you go to the streets and buy them off a dude with a box of them. that goes under what is known as "grey income".

same goes for trying to SELL starcraftII in china, sooner or later, someone's gonna crack it, and soon everyone in china who wants SCII gets SCII.

i just finished talking about the people of china, as for the government, imagine this:
a schizophrenic old grandpa who controls everything, blind to everyone else's opinions.
now imagine trying to convince him to let u into his house.

if blizzard doesn't adapt to the small-transaction free MMO market, some other company will go ahead and take SCII and make people pay to, say, play in leagues, or host games.
And if that company happens to have been started in China, the chinese government will side with that company every time blizzard files a lawsuit.

don't try to change china, just play with it and enjoy the $8 trillion, 11.9% GDP
turn around, my pet lurker is right behind u
baubo
Profile Joined September 2008
China3370 Posts
July 23 2009 17:54 GMT
#53
On July 24 2009 02:44 theqat wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 24 2009 02:42 baubo wrote:

Btw, using # of subscriptions for WoW is misleading, because Chinese users don't pay the ridiculous monthly fee of Americans. They go by hours. I checked a website that says 30RMB, or ~4 dollars, per 66 hours, which seems about right. The prices are vastly different because, once again, the average Chinese gamer just can't afford the regular monthly subscription.


This point was addressed in this thread--even though something like 33% of WOW subscriptions are Chinese, only 7% of WOW revenue comes from China


You might want to reread that portion again. Because that's not the numbers I read. The OP assumes China accounts for 5%, with HK, Taiwan, and other Asian countries making up 2% of revenue. I was only questioning this assumption, because I feel it's way too high given my understanding of the economic situation in China.

Of course, if the numbers prove correct, I'd gladly take back my statement, since I'd feel that 5% of the total WoW market is relevant. And that given the extreme popularity of DoTA in China, it's not unthinkable that SC2 could make some dough here.
Meh
broz0rs
Profile Joined July 2008
United States2294 Posts
July 23 2009 17:55 GMT
#54
the only effective way to do business in china is to know politicians and do business the chinese way: give gifts and cash. a lot of the policies are reactionary, because the politicians feel that there's an opportunity to be made, especially with Blizzard being one of the largest, most profitable game companies in the world. they're not stupid.

also regarding world of warcraft, Blizzard's service in China is two years behind. they are still on the Burning Crusade expansion. They are able to charge very little for WoW, because they are selling an old game in China.

If Blizzard can not deal with the Chinese market, they either need to get out or adjust their product to meet Chinese regulations. This adjustment comes with making their product cheaper and less up to date than what the rest of the world gets.
Emlary
Profile Blog Joined December 2002
China3334 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-23 17:57:14
July 23 2009 17:55 GMT
#55
On July 24 2009 02:42 baubo wrote:
normal middle-class salaryman makes around $150 a month.


$150 = RMB1000

Are you kidding me? Middle-class salaryman makes RMB1000 a month? To be a middle-class, you have to at least make RMB80,000 a month (around one million RMB = $140,000 a year) in my opinion.

First year college graduates make $200 to $1,000 per month in China, depending on what kind of job they take.
No more SKT1, it's SKP2.
Vision
Profile Joined June 2009
United States113 Posts
July 23 2009 17:57 GMT
#56
On July 24 2009 02:32 lwstupidus wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 24 2009 01:41 Magic84 wrote:
I can't help but look at China positively overall.

What they do hurts only free time of youth and teenagers. Their freedoms regarding gaming, internet browsing, getting entertainments from western cultures are weak. But young time better spent other way imo (even if you live in s.korea), better spent being socially active. I sure don't see their politics direction as a tragedy. The society may benefit overall producing it's own entertainment and staying inside it's own culture.

China is becoming a monster with economy, science, sports. Very fast. Limited entertainment freedoms among teens is worthy enough price if it actually adds to the growth.


Agree with this guy, in fact, any time spent during leisure activities is stupid and only detrimental to scholarly pursuits.


What the hell is the point of living if you don't do what you like? I hope your being sarcastic, otherwise you are the biggest idiot i've seen in a while.
Let's unite the blizzard community! But you can't actually talk to eachother..... - Luca
DivinO
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States4796 Posts
July 23 2009 18:00 GMT
#57
Thanks for the wonderful insight.

Well written. I will be vacationing to China next month...and I guess I'll report back with findings?
LiquipediaBrain in my filth.
theqat
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States2856 Posts
July 23 2009 18:03 GMT
#58
On July 24 2009 02:54 baubo wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 24 2009 02:44 theqat wrote:
On July 24 2009 02:42 baubo wrote:

Btw, using # of subscriptions for WoW is misleading, because Chinese users don't pay the ridiculous monthly fee of Americans. They go by hours. I checked a website that says 30RMB, or ~4 dollars, per 66 hours, which seems about right. The prices are vastly different because, once again, the average Chinese gamer just can't afford the regular monthly subscription.


This point was addressed in this thread--even though something like 33% of WOW subscriptions are Chinese, only 7% of WOW revenue comes from China


You might want to reread that portion again. Because that's not the numbers I read. The OP assumes China accounts for 5%, with HK, Taiwan, and other Asian countries making up 2% of revenue. I was only questioning this assumption, because I feel it's way too high given my understanding of the economic situation in China.

Of course, if the numbers prove correct, I'd gladly take back my statement, since I'd feel that 5% of the total WoW market is relevant. And that given the extreme popularity of DoTA in China, it's not unthinkable that SC2 could make some dough here.


Their 2008 SEC filing gives $1,152,000,000 in revenue from MMORPGs (basically, WOW). It's not inconceivable that a mere $57,600,000 of that comes from China
broz0rs
Profile Joined July 2008
United States2294 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-23 18:05:14
July 23 2009 18:03 GMT
#59
On July 24 2009 02:54 baubo wrote:And that given the extreme popularity of DoTA in China, it's not unthinkable that SC2 could make some dough here.


you bring an interesting point. I traveled to many parts of Asia such as Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and China. I always go to PC game rooms in these countries. DoTA is the most popular game in the places I been to.

But your statement is the problem: DoTA is not profitable. It's a modded game that is essentially free to play. In all the mentioned countries, DoTA or any other Blizzard games are played on private servers. And let's not be naive here, no one buys WC3 or SC in Asia. Blizzard doesn't make a penny off their old games in Asian countries.

lol fuck it, I think it will be stupid for Blizzard to release SC2 in China.
Liquid`Jinro
Profile Blog Joined September 2002
Sweden33719 Posts
July 23 2009 18:04 GMT
#60
Excellent read, thanks for sharing :O
Moderatortell the guy that interplanatar interaction is pivotal to terrans variety of optionitudals in the pre-midgame preperatories as well as the protosstinal deterriggation of elite zergling strikes - Stimey n | Formerly FrozenArbiter
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