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View Full Version : Wrath of the King blocked in China - Why would the chinese care about skeletons?!?


c0ldb33r
03-12-2009, 07:17 PM
Link: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/03/11/chinese-govt-blocking-release-wow-wrath-lich-king


World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King has encountered some bureaucratic stumbling blocks on its way to the lucrative Chinese market.

JLM Pacific Epoch reports that WLK has been rejected twice by Chinese regulatory officials:


The applications were rejected due to content that didn't meet requirements, including a city raid and skeleton characters; the submitted version did not contain WLK's Death Knight first hero class, said the insider.

WoW game developer Blizzard Entertainment recently deleted a link on the game's North American site to the site's simplified Chinese version, said the report.

And, as Massively notes:


World of Warcraft has undergone changes specific to the Chinese market in the past, namely removing skeletons altogether in order to receive approval to operate the game in mainland China.

Why would the Chinese government care about skeleton characters? I guess I can understand a city raid. If you're trying to maintain control over your population, not allowing access to material which might incite them kind of makes sense.

But what about skeleton characters? That makes no sense to me.
Starwander
03-12-2009, 07:27 PM
Their just skeletonaphobic :)
badinsults
03-12-2009, 08:08 PM
Because skeletons are symbols of freedom!
skaar
03-12-2009, 08:15 PM
My guess would be something to do with Emperors and undead armies ;)

Either that or they just have a bone to pick with Blizzard.

Oho!
Clownzilla
03-12-2009, 08:37 PM
The reason is because it's the commie thing to do.
Tupin
03-12-2009, 09:03 PM
The skeleton, and bones in general, have some sort of religious meaning for many Chinese.
Ed Oscuro
03-12-2009, 10:17 PM
plasticizing anyone?

I dunno, I like Tupin's explanation best.

I have to say though, skeletons don't have any less of a meaning for many other peoples around the world.
gum_drops
03-12-2009, 10:28 PM
Either that or they just have a bone to pick with Blizzard.

Oho!

This is not a humerus situation, and personally, I find your skeleton pun to be in poor taste.
theChad
03-12-2009, 11:02 PM
As if they weren't all born with skeletons - get outta here.
Ed Oscuro
03-13-2009, 12:45 AM
This is not a humerus situation, and personally, I find your skeleton pun to be in poor taste.
Poor or porous? :D
tom
03-13-2009, 02:35 AM
too many skeletons in their closet? (UK = cupboard)
Fanboy
03-13-2009, 01:13 PM
Maybe they're worried that WOW will "get them" with their "skeleton power"?

http://www.duffzone.org/framegrabs/3f04/11142002180944.jpg
skaar
03-13-2009, 08:12 PM
This is not a humerus situation.

I approve.
jcalder8
03-13-2009, 08:24 PM
I'm curious now too.

Does anyone know if they've banned any games because of skeletons before?
Tenjikuronin
03-13-2009, 08:31 PM
The Chinese Government does all sorts of stupid things....
Ed Oscuro
03-14-2009, 07:39 PM
Maybe they were just looking for an excuse to ban a public health nuisance.

Not knocking WoW, but it's not hard to imagine that they might consider it such.
The 1 2 P
03-14-2009, 08:00 PM
They banned it because Bungie was going to open a seperate office in China. But knowing how obsessed Bungie has become with skulls over the years, the Chinese government didn't want to take any chances of finding random skulls littered outside of Bungie's office. So they banned all skulls(and skeletons that go with them) to alleviate the problem.