Jump to content
FORUMS
Sign in to follow this  
Staff

NetEase Message to Chinese Blizzard Game Players

Recommended Posts

Clipboard01.jpg

Update: there's now also a very interesting comment from the NetEase Global Investment and Partnership President, which you can find at the bottom of the article.

We now also have two NetEase messages to their Blizzard game players, detailing exactly what will happen on January 24th, when their license ends, from the Battle.net client being shut down, to support of new releases before that date, what will happen to character data and more. 

Thanks to Neo once again for translating the below statement. 

NetEase (Source)

To all of you, dear Blizzard gamers.

Thank you for your continued support and love of Blizzard products. We are honored to have worked with you for 14 years to create and share an unforgettable gaming experience, and once again, we thank you most sincerely!

Due to the expiration of our agreement with Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone Legend, Overwatch Return, Diablo III, StarCraft II, Warcraft III: Remastered, Heroes of the Storm (collectively referred to as "Blizzard products"), which are operated by Shanghai NetEase Network Technology Development Co, will terminate operation at 0:00 on January 24, 2023, and we hereby notify you of the following matters related to the termination of operation in mainland China.

November 23, 2022 onwards, we will close Blizzard game products in Battle.net and the client paid service and user registration portal.

During the period from November 23, 2022 to January 23, 2023, the servers of Blizzard game products will be open normally, and the content update of World of Warcraft "Dragonflight", Hearthstone Legend "The March Of The Lich King" and "Overwatch Return Season 2" will be available as usual, and users can continue to log in and experience the game content. At the same time, users will still be able to spend their Battle.net points and virtual currency on their accounts.

From 0:00 on January 24, 2023, the operation of Blizzard game products will be officially stopped, Battle.net login and all game servers will be closed, as well as the client download.

After the game servers are closed, all account data and character data in each game (including but not limited to character data, remaining game time, each game's items, materials, subscription and paid information, etc.) will be sealed. We will properly handle the game data in accordance with the requirements of laws and regulations to protect the legitimate rights and interests of users. For players who have paid but not used all online game virtual currency and paid game time (if any) that has not yet expired, we will start to arrange refunds after Blizzard game products cease operation.

...

Dear Blizzard gamers:
Due to the expiration of Activision Blizzard's license agreement with NetEase on January 23, 2023, Blizzard will discontinue most of its game services in mainland China (including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone Legend, Overwatch Returned, Diablo III, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm) starting January 24 at 00:00, based on contractual restrictions, while Diablo: Immortal's service will not be affected.

NetEase and Blizzard first partnered in 2008. Over the past 14 years, we have introduced Blizzard's high-quality games to China step by step, starting with World of Warcraft, and even synchronizing global release. With each introduction of a new game, we were excited, because these games also carry our passion and youth.

Within NetEase, there are also several thousand hard-core fans of Blizzard games. Therefore, we are more empathetic to the feelings of players at this moment. Before today, we had been doing our best and negotiating with Blizzard in good faith to seek continued cooperation in mainland China. However, after long negotiations, we were still unable to reach agreement with Activision Blizzard on some key terms of cooperation. Unfortunately, Activision Blizzard has announced earlier today that they are ceasing its cooperation and we will have to accept this decision. After January 23, 2023, NetEase will lose its distributorship and will no longer be able to continue to manage and operate these games that have carried players' memories for 14 years.

Next, NetEase Games will do its best to fulfill its responsibilities and serve players until the last moment. We promise that we will do our best to negotiate with Activision Blizzard to protect the interests of Chinese players to the greatest extent possible for the issues related to refunds, game data, virtual property, game rights, etc. that everyone is concerned about.

At the same time, we will work with Activision Blizzard to achieve "business to business, game to game", pay attention to the voice of players, value all that players who have paid for the game, and properly protect everyone's game assets and memories. We will continue to inform players of the progress of the work through official channels such as the "Blizzard Game Service Center". Once again, we thank all players for their understanding and support. If possible, we hope that Blizzard's departure is only temporary. After the shutdown, we will continue to hold on in our own way and not give up lightly. We believe that those who meet can meet again.

It seems there may have indeed  been some behind-the-scenes drama, as NetEase Global Investment and Partnership President Simon Zhu talked about his own characters and a certain "jerk" that caused or affected this outcome, over on his LinkedIn.

image-1.png

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
17 minutes ago, Antimagic said:

I see this as an absolute win.

Unless you mean because NetEase specifically were bad I don't see how. There's 2 outcomes here: 1. Blizz find (or have already found) a new publisher and this "just" caused a lot of stress on Chinese players. 2. Chinese players LITERALLY lose all their accounts, characters and everything in Blizzard games.

Could you point out the "win" there for me?

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You all do realize the extraordinary conditions forced upon Blizzard to even sell games in China? It is absurd and in many cases contrary to the beliefs of not only United States citizens, but people from countries around the world. 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
59 minutes ago, Starym said:

Unless you mean because NetEase specifically were bad I don't see how. There's 2 outcomes here: 1. Blizz find (or have already found) a new publisher and this "just" caused a lot of stress on Chinese players. 2. Chinese players LITERALLY lose all their accounts, characters and everything in Blizzard games.

Could you point out the "win" there for me?

I doubt it's option 1, as in 2009, services were transferred from The9 to Netease, and Act-Bli services were'nt shutdown during the transfer ... Looks like a definitive closing to me (or at least for the upcoming months/year(s) )

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is a huge loss for everyone, but mostly for the players in China. People will lose their accounts and all the money and time invested. Blizzard will lose a huge chunk of its income and friends will no longer be able to play together. This is pure idiotic nationalism at its best.  People need to let go of the arcaic thoughts of national pride.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Guess we are stuck waiting until "one day" to see the story unfold.
I can't see Microsoft suddenly digging up principles, but there had to be something that was simply not worth it.
And with "it" being the chinese market, it certainly amounts to a lot.

2 hours ago, Starym said:

Could you point out the "win" there for me?

I mean it's not like blizzard is directly funding concentration camps and it is doubtful to have much of an impact, but it certainly is a different path from Blizchung's free Hong Kong position.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, blacktiger1974 said:

But they had free-ish spectral tiger mount. Don't care. Less China anywhere is a good thing.

What a brainbroken american take, like why would you want half of their player base to disappear

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If you guys really believe this will actually get shut down, then you do not understand business.

Its a negotiating tactic. You tell xxx million players that you are shutting down their game.. they go crazy on Netease and Netease will all of the sudden be more amiable to Blizzard demands.

Netease is trying to lock in a long term deal before Microsoft takes control in June. Netease may lose the control of WoW/CoD and others when Microsoft takes over because Microsoft has been handling its own games in china for 20+ years and doesn't need Netease.

 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is bad for people with toons on these servers.

 

Who knows what's really going on behind the scenes. Netease could be the bad guy or Blizzard or both. Maybe Blizzard even decided they were morally opposed to China or something. Who knows.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, Krimzin said:

If you guys really believe this will actually get shut down, then you do not understand business.

Its a negotiating tactic. You tell xxx million players that you are shutting down their game.. they go crazy on Netease and Netease will all of the sudden be more amiable to Blizzard demands.

Netease is trying to lock in a long term deal before Microsoft takes control in June. Netease may lose the control of WoW/CoD and others when Microsoft takes over because Microsoft has been handling its own games in china for 20+ years and doesn't need Netease.

 

Could be but we're not in the meeting room so we don't know who's strong arming who here.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 minutes ago, Prophet001 said:

Could be but we're not in the meeting room so we don't know who's strong arming who here.

Common sense. You know that Microsoft is buying Activision/Blizzard. You know Microsoft has produced its own games in China for 20 years without a 3rd party. Blizzard used a 3rd party in China. Why would Microsoft change its business model and not just fold WoW into the same thing thats been successful for them for 20 yrs in China?

If you are Netease, you know you are about to lose a huge amount of money if you dont have a contract period that execeeds the purchase of Activision Blizzard. Netease's last contract with Activision/Blizzard was for 14yrs. Thats not going to happen with the purchase being 7 months away.

Again, just speculating.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, Peghoul said:

I doubt it's option 1, as in 2009, services were transferred from The9 to Netease, and Act-Bli services were'nt shutdown during the transfer ... Looks like a definitive closing to me (or at least for the upcoming months/year(s) )

It’s not true. Players were unable to play for months as it took time to transfer data and test servers.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 hours ago, Starym said:

Could you point out the "win" there for me?

Exactly, there is no "win" there. But where could Blizzard go next? Maybe Tencent? Unless there is more to it and there are also certain laws in the way. Or it's just business as usual and one side wanted more money than the other.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When a corporation buys a business they consolidate, liquidate, or mediate business proposals for share market growth and value for gross profit outcome.  Very rarely does it depend on actual consumer needs/wants on a given product.  Now, with the issue with China and Netease all I'm seeing is a very shrewd business tactic over the end of a contract.  As for the '*filtered*'' in question I feel as if we are only seeing a very small portion of the story and not the whole.  My sympathy goes out to the players on those servers for being caught up in the middle of this mess.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 11/17/2022 at 3:43 AM, blacktiger1974 said:

But they had free-ish spectral tiger mount. Don't care. Less China anywhere is a good thing.

Yes we get it hurr durr China = bad.  Maybe you could represent our country a little better and not be so ignorant as to condemn everything and everyone in an entire nation, though, since the actual reality is that not 100% of everything and everyone in China is bad and you make us look so incredibly stupid.

Edited by skitzy129
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, Raffinaddi said:

What's stopping Blizzard from giving the contract to let's say Korea or Thailand? Just use a VPN and get access to their account.

They need a partner company to publish in China. Most VPNs are banned in China and those that are allowed require a backdoor, so no way to handle any payments etc., if government can look into them.

  • Sad 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

  • Similar Content

    • By Staff
      Gamescom is back in August this year, and Blizzard have announced they will be present at the Xbox booth! 
      The event starts on August 21st and runs until the 25th, with War Within, the next WoW expansion, releasing a day after that (or right in the middle of the show on the 23rd for those with early access), so we might get some exciting news on it at the show. Then there's Vessel of Hatred, the new Diablo 4 expansion, as we should get some new info on it as well, with its October 8th release date also looming. The press release also mentions Diablo Immortal and Overwatch 2 will be involved.
      Xbox also announced this year they will have their biggest booth at the event yet, with the Activision Blizzard merger certainly helping with that! 
      And here's the full press release.
      gamescom
      Blizzard Entertainment® is thrilled to confirm their presence at this year’s gamescom, returning to Cologne in celebration of two of their hottest launches of 2024: World of Warcraft®: The War Within™ and Diablo IV®: Vessel of Hatred™.

      This year’s show promises to bring even more excitement, as Blizzard Entertainment will have a robust footprint alongside other Xbox Game Studios in the Xbox booth, as they come together to celebrate upcoming games and connect with the community in Europe and around the world.

      “We are incredibly excited to bring Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch to our European community at gamescom,” said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment. “It’s wonderful to be able to travel to Cologne alongside some of our talented developers so that we can gather with players and celebrate the special connections that continue to be forged within our universes together.”
       
      World of Warcraft will be celebrating the launch of The War Within, the first entry in the ambitious Worldsoul Saga. With the global launch set for August 26 - one day after gamescom - it’s the perfect opportunity for the community to celebrate together. Players with the Epic Edition or physical Collector’s Edition of The War Within can play when early access goes live on August 23rd.
       
      Diablo will also be in full force at the event, bringing the world of Sanctuary to gamescom with Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred and Diablo Immortal.
      
      Overwatch 2 will have a joint stand with Porsche, highlighting their new collaboration featuring a life-sized D.Va statue modeled after the new all-electric Macan and inviting fans to enter a real-life rendition of an iconic Overwatch 2 map.
    • By Staff
      Some great news for Chinese players, as Blizzard have signed a new agreement with NetEase, and players will be returning to their games as early as summer 2024! 
      Most Blizzard games were suspended in January of 2023, with players losing access to their characters and being unable to play World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged, Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo III, and Heroes of the Storm, due to an expired licensing agreement. Luckily, a new deal has now been made!
      A lot of WoW players decided to re-roll brand new characters on Taiwanese and Korean servers after the old deal stopped. Their old character data is saved, however, but it will be from back before patch 10.1, so it's going to be a tough decision on how to proceed for them. Perhaps Blizzard can come up with a solution to merge the accounts?
      Here's the full press release:
      (Source)
      BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT AND NETEASE RENEW AGREEMENT TO BRING BELOVED TITLES BACK TO CHINA; MICROSOFT GAMING, NETEASE ENTER BROADER COLLABORATION
      Blizzard titles to return to mainland China beginning summer 2024

      Microsoft Gaming and NetEase deepen their relationship, with a strategic partnership based on their shared desire to bring new gaming experiences to players across platforms and markets
      IRVINE, Calif., REDMOND, Wash., AND HANGZHOU, Zhejiang [April 9 PT, April 10 CT] / -- Beloved video game titles from Blizzard Entertainment that captivated millions of players in China will return to the market sequentially, beginning this summer, under a renewed publishing deal Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft Gaming, and NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999) announced today.
      After continuing discussions over the past year, both Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase are thrilled to align on a path forward to once again support players in mainland China and are proud to reaffirm their commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences. 
      The renewed publishing agreement will encompass games Chinese players had access to under the previous agreement: World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, and other titles in the Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft® universes. Building upon more than 15 years of past collaboration, Blizzard and NetEase are working diligently on relaunch plans, with further details to be shared at a later date.
      Separately, Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have also entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles and other platforms. 
      “We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China,” said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment. “We are immensely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games throughout the years, and we are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication.” 
      “Celebrating our collaborations, we are thrilled to embark on the next chapter, built on trust and mutual respect, to serve our users in this unique community that we’ve built together.” said William Ding, Chief Executive Officer and Director, NetEase. “Our commitment to providing more exhilarating and creative entertainment experience remains unwavering, and we are excited to see positive synergies fostered to encourage and empower collaborations to bring the joy of gaming to a broad community.” 
      “Blizzard and NetEase have done incredible work to renew our commitment to players – Blizzard’s universes have been part of players’ lives in the region for many years. Returning Blizzard’s legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.
      About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
      Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.
      About Microsoft
      Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
      About NetEase, Inc.
      NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999, "NetEase") is a leading internet and game services provider centered around premium content. With extensive offerings across its expanding gaming ecosystem, the Company develops and operates some of the most popular and longest running mobile and PC games available in China and globally.
      Powered by one of the largest in-house game R&D teams focused on mobile, PC and console, NetEase creates superior gaming experiences, inspires players, and passionately delivers value for its thriving community worldwide. By infusing play with culture, and education with technology, NetEase transforms gaming into a meaningful vehicle to build a more entertaining and enlightened world.
      Beyond games, NetEase service offerings include its majority-controlled subsidiaries Youdao (NYSE: DAO), an intelligent learning company with industry-leading technology, and Cloud Music (HKEX: 9899), a well-known online music platform featuring a vibrant content community, as well as Yanxuan, NetEase's private label consumer lifestyle brand. For more information, please visit: http://ir.netease.com/.
    • By Staff
      As the Microsoft-Activision deal closes, Bobby Kotick will only stay on as CEO through the end of the year and leave on January 1, 2024.
      Placeholder for tweet 1712818483442987422 Based on the value of his shares, Robert Kotick will leave with around $400 million and if Microsoft/Xbox wants to get rid of Kotick, he will also receive a minimum payout of $250 million.

      Image courtesy of Dexterto.
    • By Staff
      According to WSJ, Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, has floated the idea of buying TikTok to potential partners.
      Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has reportedly shown interest in purchasing TikTok, as legislation in the U.S. threatens to ban or force the sale of the popular app over national security concerns.
      Kotick is said to be seeking partners for the potential acquisition, discussing the opportunity with notable figures including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over TikTok's data privacy practices and its ties to China, with U.S. lawmakers pushing for decisive action.
      You can read the whole news piece over at WSJ.
      Bobby Kotick left his position at Activision Blizzard in December 2023 after Microsoft finalized its purchase of the company. Post-acquisition, he reportedly received over $375 million, as detailed by Forbes.
      Source: WSJ 
    • By Staff
      Blizzard games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch 2 might soon make a comeback in China, thanks to Blizzard reportedly teaming up again with NetEase.
      The news comes from Core Esports, which suggests Blizzard's game services could be back by the end of March or the beginning of April.
      After 14 years of partnership, Blizzard and NetEase hit a rough patch in 2022, leading to failed negotiations. Consequently, when the licensing agreement concluded on January 23, 2023, Blizzard's game services were suspended across mainland China.
      For more details, you can check out the article in Chinese or find an English translation by Amy Chen on esports.gg.
×
×
  • Create New...