For those unfamiliar with China’s gaming laws, there are some restrictions that developers have to overcome if they wish to have their games legally published in the country. For example games like World of Warcraft had to have certain images, such as skulls and zombies modified in order to meet the country’s guidelines. With Blizzard’s recently launched Diablo 3 currently undergoing a game review process, it seems that this has hindered online retailers from selling the game under the game’s actual name – Diablo 3. So what do online retailers do when they’re faced with this hurdle? Rename it of course!
It looks like some online retailers have decided to get a little creative with the naming process and have rebranded the game as “Da boluo”, which while phonetically speaking sounds like “Diablo”, actually means “Big pineapple” when translated. They have even reportedly used a picture of a pineapple to cover their tracks! So far it seems that either the authorities don’t really care, or if they have managed to stumble upon some legal loophole but either way the game appears to be still on sale. So if you’re planning on buying Diablo 3 from an online Chinese retailer, don’t be shocked if you find a pineapple used in place of the game’s box art.
[Image credit – JustD3]