On May 8, 2002, the day after the May Day Golden Week holiday ended, as many office workers groggily returned to their workstations, the news that "Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne" would be released globally simultaneously on May 15th at 10 PM caused quite a stir.
"I never thought we in our country could have a time like the rest of the world!" said a player sitting at his computer in the office, sighing with emotion.
"Yes, I'd heard for a long time that Warcraft III was about to be released. I thought we'd have to wait two or three months longer than in Europe and America to play it, just like before. I never imagined it would be a global simultaneous release; this is unprecedented!"
"Not only a simultaneous release, but it also comes with a Chinese version, it's almost unbelievable!"
Thanks to the pervasive advertising by our Boss Huang, almost all gamers in China now know that Warcraft III will be distributed and published by oo, and that it will be released globally simultaneously. This has given many Chinese players a sense of pride and triumph.
Many domestic players have long complained that any new game or blockbuster game is always released first overseas, and players in China can only watch enviously, only getting to play the genuine version months, or even years, later.
However, speaking of which, it's usually only the genuine version that is delayed. Generally, a few days after release, domestic players would upload pirated copies to various websites and forums.
So, Chinese players were only a few days behind foreign players. At the same time, they could enjoy the fun without spending a penny... Of course, this required a certain level of English proficiency. If one could only play a Chinese-translated version, then indeed, they would have to wait a few more months.
This time is completely different. A global simultaneous launch is absolutely a first in the history of Chinese gaming, which has excited many players who understand the reasons behind it, leading them to exclaim, "oo is amazing!"
Of course, there are also those who don't know how incredible this event is. But that's alright; Popular Software has published an article to tell you how amazing it is, and many forums have seen a flood of posts with titles like "Shocking, The Biggest Breakthrough in Chinese Gaming History!"
"The First Global Simultaneous Release of a Top-Tier Game, China's Pride!"
"You Don't Know How Hard oo Games Worked This Time!"
"Chinese Games Stand Up!"
There are many such titles. Within a month, any gamer who also likes to surf the internet basically knows what an incredible feat oo Games has accomplished this time.
At the same time, these articles also elaborate on the difficulties involved. Some players might wonder, "It's just a global simultaneous release. As long as you get the developer's approval, what difficulty can there be?"
These articles have, more or less, revealed the mystery. It turns out that since electronic games entered China, an approval system has been in place. Any genuine game intended for domestic release must undergo review.
The review process involves the manufacturer submitting the game to the reviewing authority. The reviewing authority thoroughly examines the game's content. If it's confirmed that there's nothing unhealthy within, it will be approved and granted permission for release.
Only with this permission can the game be smoothly released and sold.
This appears to be a very normal process, operating similarly in any country. However, the problem is that the review requires complete game files, and the review time generally ranges from one month to a year, with no guarantee in between.
Therefore, a Chinese distributor wanting to achieve a global simultaneous release must obtain the complete game files at least a month in advance and submit them to the relevant authorities for review.
This, in turn, requires the cooperation of the game company itself. If they are willing to provide you with the game files at least a month before the global release, it is an absolutely impossible task for foreign game manufacturers.
The reason is simple: it's not worth it.
For the Chinese market, the agency fees for genuine games are pitifully low. Even Blizzard Entertainment's agency revenue in China barely reaches tens of thousands of dollars. With such minimal profit, it's not worth it for Blizzard to hand over confidential game files to a Chinese distributor a month in advance for review, as there's a significant risk of game leaks.
Domestic game distribution companies also have no incentive to pursue such endeavors. Besides having to actively curry favor with foreign game merchants, their domestic sales are also very small. It's time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unrewarding. Only a fool would do such a thing.
As a result, only oo Games obtained the game copy two months in advance and submitted it for review, ultimately earning the opportunity for a global simultaneous release.
Some might be confused and think, "Didn't we just say that Allen Adhan brought the game copy with him when he came? How did Huang He get the game two months earlier?"
Actually, what Huang He received two months earlier was the first version of the game, the version originally scheduled for release in March. At that time, there were no plans for a delay, and Blizzard had already sent the game copy. However, just before the release, it was delayed again. But the game files still ended up in Huang He's hands.
So, with Blizzard's permission, Huang He used this version of the game for review, which led to the opportunity for a global simultaneous release.
Of course, if you dig deeper, Huang He's actions were technically a violation, as the version submitted for review must be the final released version. But if you don't say it, and I don't say it, who would care about such a thing?
After all, this isn't 2021, where countless eyes are watching you online. Once you make a mistake, or even say the wrong thing, you'll immediately face an explosion on Weibo, followed by public outcry, and then official intervention.
This is 2002. Many times, turning a blind eye and letting it pass is acceptable. Even if it's reported, it's just a fine. After all, our Boss Huang was completely unaware of this; it was his subordinates who took the initiative, and our Boss Huang is a very clean and good person.
Thus, our Boss Huang, without much difficulty or effort, secured the opportunity for a global simultaneous launch, followed by intense promotion and fanfare, which is the benefit Boss Huang gained.
However, this kind of approach will only be possible for the next few months. After June 2002, when that incident occurs, China's attitude towards games will undergo a drastic shift, and the difficulty of obtaining game approvals will increase severalfold. Otherwise, expansions like "The Burning Crusade" wouldn't lag behind other countries by nearly a year.
At the same time, many people were dismissive and mocked through various channels.
"What's the point of a global simultaneous release?"
"Exactly. What matters is the price of a game. If it's still over 100 yuan per game like Warcraft II, who would buy it!"
"Right, if oo is truly benevolent, a good person, and truly wants everyone to have a chance to play this game, then they should set the price below 50 yuan!"
"50 yuan for a game? Are you guys running a mine at home or just dreaming? Only a fool would spend 50 yuan on a single-player game. 20 at most, and I won't buy it even for a dollar."
"Hey, that's a bit excessive, too low. 25 yuan per copy, and I'd be willing to pay."
"The ones above are all wealthy. You go support the genuine version. I'm a student, very poor, no money. I'll just wait for the pirated version."
"Same here. Although I feel a bit guilty playing pirated copies, we're poor, we don't have money."
"Same here!"
"You guys are too shameless, playing pirated copies so openly. If I didn't live in a small city with no genuine game stores around, I would never resort to pirated copies!"
Such comments, though not numerous, could often be seen on forums.
What's even more serious is that such blatant "true villains" are a minority. Most people are "gentlemen in disguise." They wouldn't mention playing pirated copies on forums, and even strongly express that they would support genuine games, even if it meant selling their belongings.
But it's likely that once pirated copies are released, all these people will unhesitatingly choose to download them.
However, it cannot be said that this is due to the quality of Chinese people or cultural issues. As the saying goes, all problems in the world are economic problems.
Ultimately, the Chinese people and gamers in 2002 were still very poor. Their economic conditions simply did not support the purchase of genuine copies.
Even if they had the economic means to support genuine copies, it was difficult to find a store that sold them in 2002.
Back then, when "Chinese Paladin 4" was released, Huang He had made a little money and vociferously declared his intention to support genuine copies and make up for past regrets. However, after searching his entire city, he couldn't find a single place to buy a genuine game. In the end, he had no choice but to download a pirated copy.
It wasn't until "Chinese Paladin 5" was released that he was able to purchase a genuine copy through online channels for over 300 yuan. However, the game's quality was inconsistent, which significantly dampened Huang He's enthusiasm for genuine copies. But later, with the advent of Steam, Huang He has consistently supported genuine copies.
Similar situations occurred in other areas as well, such as online novels. Back then, having an average subscription of 100 for an online novel was considered impressive; it was an era of widespread piracy.
But by 2021, novels with an average subscription of over 1000 are commonplace. This indicates that with the improvement of economic conditions, the awareness of genuine products among Chinese people, especially young Chinese people, has become formidable.
Reasonably speaking, if not for America's extremely strict copyright laws, America would also be riddled with pirated copies. This can be seen from the widespread "zero-dollar shopping" (lootings) in Western countries today.
In summary, although oo Games is heavily promoting itself now, many companies in the industry, and even ordinary players, are very skeptical, believing that oo Games is merely losing money to gain publicity.
However, these people are relatively good. The truly problematic ones are certain individuals who operate in the shadows, giving orders to their subordinates to ensure they buy one copy of Warcraft III immediately after its release.
However, they aren't buying it to play, but to copy. In their factories, countless CD burners and copiers are eagerly awaiting.