In China, if you want to sell any form of cultural product that originates from outside the country, the Ministry of Culture needs to approve it first. So when a hot game like Diablo III launches in the West, gamers in China have to sit patiently waiting for the MoC to get around to looking at the game.
A delay in release means there’s an opportunity for some vendors to sell the game illegally. By illegally I mean legal copies of the title, but sold before approval has been given to start selling it in stores.
The one issue with this is the Chinese government cracking down hard on anyone that does try to sell games early. In a country well known for monitoring the Internet, key terms associated with the game are also filtered, so drastic measures have been taken by those trying to sell the game.
If you want a copy of Diablo III in China today, you don’t search for “Diablo III,†“Diablo 3,†or “D3.†The search term to use is “Big Pineapples.â€
The term big pineapple in Chinese is “da boluo,†which sounds quite close to “Diablo†and therefore makes some sort of sense to use. But listings for the game go so far as to include a picture of a pineapple too, all to throw the authorities off the scent.
Of course, the sale of big pineapples are sure to drop off now that it has become well known what is actually being sold. The web filters will have been updated and online vendors are probably already seeing listings blocked for the juicy fruit.
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