Millions of Chinese gamers have been on an emotional rollercoaster 🎢 over the past year. Whispers of Blizzard's return sparked waves of excitement, only to be washed away by letdowns. Exhausted by the ups and downs, many greeted the April 9 news of a new deal between Blizzard and NetEase with a shrug. It wasn't until the official confirmation on April 10 that real joy and relief spread among the fans 🎉.
But it wasn't just the gamers celebrating. Figures like Huang \"XiaoSe\" Xudong, a well-known Starcraft promoter, saw this as a return to normalcy. Dressed as the god of wealth and handing out candies at NetEase headquarters, his gesture underscored the economic boost Blizzard's comeback brings 💰.
A Roadblock Removed
Back in early 2023, Blizzard games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch 2, and Diablo 3 went dark in China 🇨🇳. The fallout? A breakdown in contract talks. Rumor has it that Blizzard's then-CEO, Bobby Kotick, pushed for a bigger slice of the pie, higher game prices, and a hefty upfront payment—all to keep investors happy. NetEase's CEO Ding Lei wasn't having it, calling the demands unreasonable.
Enter Microsoft 🎮. Their acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October 2023 was a game-changer. With Xbox's influence, Blizzard softened its stance, paving the way for renewed partnerships. While the details are hush-hush 🤫, a side deal between Microsoft and NetEase to bring NetEase games to Xbox might've sweetened the pot.
An Uncertain Future
So, Blizzard's back! But is the hype real? NetEase pulled in over 81 billion yuan ($11 billion) in gaming revenue in 2023, but Blizzard's share was just about 2 billion yuan in 2022. Activision Blizzard reported only 3% of its 2021 revenue from China. Not exactly game-changing numbers 🧐.
However, teaming up on mobile games could be the golden ticket 📱. \"Diablo Immortal,\" co-developed with NetEase, had the franchise's biggest launch ever—over 10 million downloads in a week and more than $100 million in the first eight weeks! That's some serious coin 🤑. Compare that to Blizzard's own \"Warcraft Rumble,\" which didn't quite hit the same highs.
But here's the twist 🔀. Many Chinese gamers feel Blizzard's been a bit arrogant 😒. A survey on iFeng.com from December 2023 to January 2024 showed only 10% of 20,000 players pumped about the return. The rest? Indifferent or even hostile. Ouch. Yet, over 2 million players logged into the new Blizzard.cn website by April 10. Actions speak louder than words, right? 😉
Reference(s):
Blizzard's return to China: A shot in the arm or a forgotten love?
cgtn.com
