| |
The new online game 'World of Warcraft' can be played for free till it gets an official approval for commercial use. This was informed by the developer of the online game.
The game's operator in China, Shanghai Netease, has announced on its website, that it has finished all facility tests as required by the authorities. It will extend its open testing programme for free to players in China until it gets final approval from the government.
Yu who is the public relations officer of Blizzard Entertainment Inc said,"We had been notified by Shanghai Netease and discussed with them before the announcement. It's a thoughtful decision."
The game's operating right in China was transferred to Shanghai Netease from another online game operator The9 in April. The two companies signed their agreement in early June and the game resumed its services on July 30 with an open testing programme.
A reapplication is needed to get government approval for the game in case of change in ownership of operation rights. Shanghai Netease is waiting for the final nod to re-launch the commercial operation. The online game after the approval will charge players about 0.5 yuan per hour through prepaid cards.
Many players in China have complained that the censorship on the game was too strict and it took too long for the game to reopen.
Shanghai Netease was not available for any comment. Yu said she had no information on when the company would get the approval.
The game boasts to have around four million active players in China. This accounts to 30 % of the total in the world.
The online gaming industry of China accounts to $2.70 billion while the estimated online gamers last year were about 49.36 million.
