The Daily Insight

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(See: China declares Battlefield 4 illegal) If you talk about games in China, you’ll often hear people espouse this theory: skeletons, blood, and other things have been censored in games like World of Warcraft and Dota 2 for cultural reasons, or because the government doesn’t want to encourage superstition.

Why is WoW different in China?

Starym 3,197. As you probably already know, the Chinese version of WoW is a little different, with skulls and bones (as well as gore) being censored/changed in the game due to cultural reasons. Seeing as Maldraxxus is all skull and bones, how exactly would that work in the Chinese version?

What are death knights called in China?

While I do think China’s stance on death is pretty odd (Death Knights are called Fate Knights) I still think the undead model is pretty cool.

Is WoW available in China?

Nearly two years after Western release. World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King – originally released in November 2008 – will finally see the light of day in China. WotLK, which Eurogamer awarded a stonking 10/10 review, will release in Mainland China on 31st August.

What does 4 mean in Chinese?

The number 4 (四, pinyin: sì; Cantonese Yale: sei) is considered an unlucky number in Chinese because it is nearly homophonous to the word “death” (死 pinyin: sǐ; Cantonese Yale: séi). Similarly in Vietnamese, the number 4 (四) is called tứ in Sino-Vietnamese, which sounds like tử (死) (death) in Vietnamese.

What is World of Warcraft called in China?

World of Magic Beasts
The game sees players exploring a vast landscape, complete quests and interact with other gamers, and is known for its colourful array of monsters and landscapes, giving rise to its Chinese name “World of Magic Beasts”. China is one of the biggest markets for WoW.

Who is Maldraxxus?

Maldraxxus, Citadel of the Necrolords, is one of the realms of the Shadowlands, ruled by the Necrolord Covenant. It represents the heart of the Shadowlands’ military might. It is home to wicked beings like necromancers and abominations, but not everyone here is evil.

When did WoW release in China?

For the Chinese version of WoW, Blizzard partnered with Shanghai-based company The9, who could better handle localization, support, and customer service. The9 launched the classic version of the game on June 7, 2005.

Why are there no skeletons in video games in China?

It has nothing to do with skeletons or ghosts. The Chinese have ghost stories. It would be absolutely absurd to insist that the Chinese banned ghost stories or skeletons in video games straight up.

Does China censor skeletons?

China doesn’t censor skeletons: the truth about game censorship in the Middle Kingdom. China is one of the most misunderstood nations on earth when it comes to censorship. Yes, its government is very trigger-happy when it comes to censorship, but that doesn’t mean that a lot of the common myths about Chinese censorship are correct.

Is it illegal to watch anime with skeletons in it?

Not illegal per say, but if done in western media, people would find it insensitive and disturbing. But in China, and most parts of Asia, people would have little or no problem with that. Final Fantasy XIV also has a separate Chinese version, with the skeletons edited out.

What are some examples of superstition in China?

The Chinese are extremely superstitious. They believe in luck. They think that skeletons and ghosts will bring about disaster. For example, they don’t like the number four (in their language) because it sounds similar to the word death.