NetEase And Blizzard Renew Their Partnership To 2020
Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase have signed the dotted line renewing their partnership until 2020. For you non-Chinese citizens, NetEase publishes Blizzard's library in China.
The renewed operation agreement includes Blizzard's World of Warcraft®, StarCraft® II, Diablo® III, Hearthstone®, Heroes of the Storm®, and Overwatch®, as well as new content for these games during the agreement period.
The news arrives just after NetEase decided to shift World of Warcraft's business model from pay by the hour to a monthly subscription. Imagine if you paid by the hour to play a game. I can't. The transition should generate quite a bit more revenue and appeal to players in China.
Turns out NetEase and Blizzard have been dating for the last 9 years, a healthy monogamous relationship, since NetEase first published Starcraft II in China. We can expect the lovers to be happily together for at least 4 more years.
Who knows what will happen after 2020—probably another article just like this one.
