14 DAY TRIAL // NetEase, the Chinese operator of the World of Warcraft MMO, and Blizzard, the creator of the leading title in the subscription based space, have announced that the latest expansion for the game, called Cataclysm, will be launched next month for Chinese gamers.
On July 12 players will be able to get access to new content and can begin experiencing new skills, new classes and new races, catching up with European and North American players.
It has taken less than eight months to port Cataclysm from the West to China, which is significantly faster than the two years that the process took when applied to Wrath of the Lich King.
Mike Morhaime, who is the Chief Executive Officer and one of the original founders of Blizzard, has said, “We've always appreciated Chinese gamers' passion and support for World of Warcraft, and we're excited that they'll soon be able to enjoy all of the great new content this expansion has to offer.”
Chinese authorities put a number of restrictions on video games that are launched in the country and NetEase and other companies operating there are careful to remove all elements of a game that could lead to sanctions from government bodies.
NetEase has reported an increase in sales of close to 50 percent, most of then linked to the success of World of Warcraft.
The company picked up operational duties for the game in China in 2008 from The9.
Blizzard has reported that the number of subscribers for World of Warcraft has been dropping slightly during the last months.
The company says this is because a number of experienced video game players have gone through the content delivered in Cataclysm very quickly and have then abandoned the game, only to return when new raids or zones are delivered.
Blizzard is working on a new expansion for World of Warcraft and a new MMO project called Titan.