'Minecraft' in China: Microsoft Brings Hit Game to Mainland China [VIDEO]
In an attempt to make the game even more prolific worldwide, Minecraft creator Mojang, together with Microsoft and Chinese Internet firm NetEase, is creating a special version of the hyper-popular game for Chinese players. Yes, that's right. Minecraft is coming to China, and the game's upcoming launch has earned the blessing of its creators.
The deal between the companies, which was signed on Friday, is effective for five years. That means that until 2021 at least, Chinese gamers would finally be able to experience the gaming phenomenon that has taken the world by storm.
Though China is still prone to censorship by the ruling Communist Party, video games have seen an emergence over the last few years. With companies such as NetEase taking the lead, popular titles such as Hearthstone and even the prolific strategy game World of Warcraft have been successfully launched in the conservative Asian nation.
Mojang CEO Jonas Martensson has expressed his optimism about the project. In fact, in order to celebrate the launch of the world-building game in China, the Minecraft creator is currently working on a special version of the game that would be tailored specifically for Chinese players.
"We'll always embrace opportunities to bring Minecraft to new players around the world, widening our community, and giving us a new perspective on our game," he said.
As much as the announcement has gotten many Minecraft fans excited, however, the launch of the game would only apply to the PC and mobile markets. Thus, owners of the Xbox One and the PS4 in China might need to wait a bit more before the popular title becomes available.
Since being launched in 2009, Minecraft has spawned into a worldwide franchise with more than 100 registered players building and creating worlds of their own. Eventually, the game became so popular that Microsoft acquired the game studio behind the game for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Despite the game's extreme popularity, however, Minecraft has not stopped its efforts at making the game even more immersive, with the game's creators recently launching a special Super Mario Bros.-themed version of the title for the Nintendo Wii U. A virtual reality version of the game was also recently released for the Gear VR.
