Minecraft says ‘Ni Hao’ to China in new deal
Minecraft, the open-world sandbox building game that has swept the globe since its 2011 debut, will soon say ‘Ni Hao’ to over a billion new fans. Soon Chinese players will be able to create and explore their very own blocky, colorful worlds, as Microsoft, Mojang and NetEase have announced a five-year agreement to license Minecraft mobile and PC editions to a NetEase affiliate in mainland China.
As part of the agreement, Mojang will develop a version of Minecraft tailored for the Chinese market and release it in partnership with NetEase.
“We are excited to bring Minecraft to Chinese audiences, and expect our large online community to embrace this preeminent game,” said William Ding of NetEase, Inc. “With our deep understanding of the Chinese market and our ability to successfully launch world-renowned online and mobile games, we offer a strong platform for the introduction of Minecraft to China’s vast user base. We believe this cooperation could leverage the strengths of both Mojang and NetEase, as well as provide the world’s largest audience with a superior user experience.”
Minecraft features multiple game modes, but it is not yet clear how complete the Chinese version will be. In Western versions, there are Survival mode, Creative mode, and Adventure mode. Besides these various game modes, the Minecraft community in other countries has over the years created countless numbers of mods and custom content for use in the game. Will the Chinese government allow a fully-functional online mode? It remains to be seen in a country where the authorities have been hesitant in the past to allow unlimited freedom online.
One thing is for certain: with the potential for hundreds of millions of new players, this deal is a major win for Mojang and its parent, Microsoft. And in case you missed it, Minecraft just finished celebrating its 4th birthday on the Xbox One by giving players free skins – check out our story here.
SOURCE: Press Release