“It has been 4 years since The9 and Blizzard fought shoulder to shoulder, together resisting the invasion of countless online games. Though they succeeded in pocketing endless cash from players, the fragile agreement between The9 and Blizzard has long since vanished into nothing. Now, the war drums thunder once again…”
April 26, 2005 — I’ll always remember that day. Lao Niu and I queued like madmen at an internet cafe just to register a World of Warcraft open beta account. That year I was taking an authware course at school, and I even turned out a project that the teachers later used as a student showcase — a World of Warcraft-themed one. World of Warcraft, a deeply admired online game, a flawless worldview, spotless balance, a whole pile of innovative gameplay… Nostalgia So many of those childhood firsts in the game are things you never forget for the rest of your life. The first time I arrived at the night elf capital and saw the majestic Ancients of War and the other patrolling guardians from Warcraft; the first time I arrived at Stormwind City and felt the masterful craft of human stonemasons and the cozy scenery of the canal city; the first time I ran a dungeon and experienced that innovative design; the first time I saw players of other races! The first time doing world PvP! … Those thrills are carved into my heart, and they’re still rippling today. The Battle for the Agency Rights It’s really ironic, when you think about it — that opening line everyone knows by heart turned out to foreshadow their ending: “It has been 4 years since The9 and Blizzard fought shoulder to shoulder, together resisting the invasion of countless online games. Though they succeeded in pocketing endless cash from players, the fragile agreement between The9 and Blizzard has long since vanished into nothing. Now, the war drums thunder once again…” Fine, then I want to know: what else does that “10 years” at the opening of the first World of Warcraft foreshadow? Infernal Affairs 4 – The Warcraft War video: Infernal Affairs 4_The Warcraft War original soundtrack album: “Warcraft Infernal Affairs” Lyrics
Theme song: Warcraft Infernal Affairs Lyric adaptation: 不是坏人 Performed by: 伟伟爱绿茶 & 机枪哥哥 Post-production: 机枪哥哥
Open — why did you forget to open? If you won’t open it, I’ll open it — the Wrath of the Lich King
Look at me, the footsteps about to stop, the burning journey about to end
Who can find the Infernal kingdom? Who knows how muddled Blizzard is
Who understands just how cruel the Warcraft war is, it’s just that no one is willing to admit defeat
The9, having lost WoW, how is it supposed to change? Layoffs or going under aren’t far off
NetEase, holding the Lich King, how does it make money? A tomorrow that needs no explanation
A chaotic world, no end in sight, on this Warcraft Infernal Path
Who can find the Infernal kingdom? Who knows how muddled Blizzard is
Who understands just how cruel the Warcraft war is, it’s just that no one is willing to admit defeat
The9, having lost WoW, how is it supposed to change? Layoffs or going under aren’t far off
NetEase, holding the Lich King, how does it make money? A tomorrow that needs no explanation
A chaotic world, no end in sight, on this Warcraft Infernal Path
Along the way we put on a show of wise oblivion
Along the way we look back in rare numbness
On this path where we’re inseparably close
Let me be like you
You like me
Never lonely
The9, having lost WoW, how is it supposed to change? Layoffs or going under aren’t far off
NetEase, holding the Lich King, how does it make money? A tomorrow that needs no explanation
Since there’s no end, back to the starting point, back to Warcraft’s In~Infernal Path
Why say goodbye to World of Warcraft instead of goodbye to The9? A while back I came across an article: http://www.loveyuki.com/Article/Bad-The9City.aspx
The cause of action I marked in yellow is the key point — a commercial defamation dispute counts as an intellectual property dispute. Kou Xiaowei, deputy director of the Audio-Visual, Electronic and Online Publishing Administration Department of the General Administration of Press and Publication, said at the 2007 China Game Industry Annual Conference that when a Chinese online game company gets into an intellectual property dispute with a foreign company, once the foreign company is hit with a lawsuit or arbitration by the Chinese company, its products will immediately be halted from import approval.
And everyone knows that after Warcraft changes operators it has to be re-approved before it can go online, so The9’s sinister intentions are glaringly obvious. Back when it was Audition, The9 screwed over 9you; now NetEase has screwed over The9. First they leaked an internal letter to play the victim, then found that players weren’t buying it — everyone seemed delighted that Warcraft was changing operators. And so, along came a vicious move. As for how that move ultimately plays out, right now you really can’t see a clear outcome. But The9 can disappear from here on out. Anyone who plays another game published by The9 has something wrong with their head.
If Blizzard’s products really are stopped from being imported, that’s still rather worrying. (There’s already related news saying it won’t be that serious.) Playing WOW is actually pretty painful… If you ask me, this life — in the blink of an eye, you’ve leveled up 10-odd levels; sob~ Then you log off, and this whole life is over… sob~ After switching servers, all your old character data and playtime are kept, plus you get a free pet and an achievement.