The Chinese man behind the blizzard game--Li Zhiqiang

A "blizzard-type" man Li Zhiqiang in the National Service Furnace Stone legend Conference Li Zhiqiang, 2003 joined NetEase, when the game market director NetEase. NetEase Company is currently vice president, NetEase Blizzard Cooperation department responsible. As a blizzard game in China operation Matters of the leader, Li Zhiqiang often appear in the public activities and media cameras in front, with a slightly pleasant Cantonese accent Mandarin, with slightly fat mild appearance, let a person feel cordial and kind. His words always with a smile, have asked to answer but also the "blizzard-style" of tai Chi through always, the success of the successful representative of NetEase and Blizzard polite but with a sense of distance PR image. "World of Warcraft: The King of Draenor" in mainland China successfully online, NetEase and blizzard cooperation has gone through a milestone. Wow came to mainland China for nearly 10 years, NetEase and blizzard cooperation has gone through 7 years, Li Zhiqiang as a central figure throughout, with his peaceful tone, and we tell the story of the unknown. "2004 Ding Lei's an American credit card tied more than 30 Warcraft account" 2004 years of the day, NetEase CEO Lei Ding pulled 30 boxes of "World of Warcraft" disc into the company, which he took a long journey from the United States to bring back the friend. That year Wow in North America just opened the test, the response is excellent, ding lei planning to let the game department developers and high-level learning. Li Zhiqiang as the market director of NetEase Gaming Department, is responsible for "Dahua West Tour 2" and "Dream West Tour" of the marketing work. The same as Blizzard fans, he followed the technical department of the otaku who led a box. At that time, "World of Warcraft" has no national service, activation account must bind a U.S. credit card. A group of people are worried, Ding boss slowly from the wallet pulled out a golden visa, big hand a wave frame in the air: "Tie Me!" When the Li Zhiqiang of NetEase game market director of the November 23, 2004, "World of Warcraft" official global release, 250,000 copy of the first day to sell, 20W account in Korea and the United States to set up the service, including many users from China. NetEase Company of these more than 30 people, spent Ding Lei credit card in the U.S. dollars, also began the "World of Warcraft" journey. But less than one months after the first taste of Azeroth, the tech geek began to tinker with "Black Tech", buy gold on ebay and sweep up auction houses, and so forth. In the same place for too long to dig up the game resources of the era, such behavior quickly caused by the blizzard of the United States to pay attention to the operation of the team, and then tied to the LEI account of the 30 games account, all at once sealed off. Li Zhiqiang's first intimate contact with "World of Warcraft" was so dramatically ended. He's addicted. He sent emails to Blizzard headquarters again and again to claim his account. After repeated attempts fruitless, he had to buy one again. At that time, Li Zhiqiang did not think, as a blizzard by the relentless seal of the people, a few years later, he became the most important blizzard and Chinese players bridge. How NetEase and Blizzard came together in 2013, Li Zhiqiang with Dai Jin and the time for Star 2 to walk to 2007May of the year. The Second Blizzard Global Invitational (WWI) opened in South Korea, Blizzard first announced to the player "StarCraft 2", the game was still in a very primitive development stage, but the trailer starring Raynor's handsome debut-from the StarCraft 1 generation of a rough infantry model, into the image of abundant cigar, The handsome uncle who rode in the bald Eagle chariot-or surprised many spectators, including at that time saw the trailer Li Zhiqiang on the net. 2007, NetEase Company's annual income of 2.31 billion yuan, of which game income of 1.93 billion, accounted for more than 80%. The revenue structure of online games, more than 70% from the traditional game "dream West Tour." After the research business on the stable track, NetEase senior began to consider through product agents, to enhance the health of the company's income structure. This opportunity, NetEase decided to start contact with Blizzard, and to discuss the "StarCraft 2" agency matters. Because the game was not completed at that time, the two sides have up to one year to meet each other and understand each other, but not in a hurry to sign the contract. "We are a little encounter, the more we know, the more we like each other." Li Zhiqiang describes NetEase and blizzard in contact with the impression "two companies are research-oriented enterprises, executives have development background, and are ' slow work out of the malt ' style." "The most unrestrained person, also can not guess the thing" culture match, the idea is interlinked "finally let these two companies realize the first cooperation. August 8, 2008, Blizzard and NetEase jointly announced that the "StarCraft II", "Warcraft III: Chaos," "Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne", as well as the Battle network platform in mainland China exclusive operation Rights, awarded NetEase affiliated subsidiaries-that is, created by Li Zhiqiang, later people called " NetEase Blizzard Cooperation Department "the announcement of agent News caused the industry vibration." On the one hand, NetEase broke through the cooperation between the nine city and Blizzard, took down the "StarCraft 2" Operation Rights, on the other hand, the Battle network platform by the introduction of NetEase to convey a profound signal, so many people's imagination. That year, nine city operations under the "World of Warcraft" heyday, no one can be whimsical "guess Wow operation right will change, the most" unrestrained "people also only dare to guess" NetEase is to get through the introduction of the war network to obtain the "Diablo 3 proxy. However, the undercurrent surging under the real waves just to start, Li Zhiqiang as NetEase and Blizzard to discuss cooperation between the core characters, but also slowly toward the center of the storm. "We've been wronged for many years." The early years of Li Zhiqiang 1 really handsome! 1 true earth!2 "World of Warcraft" in mainland China's operations, can be said to be a milestone in the history of Chinese online games. The fate of the nine cities and NetEase change, online games triggered by the huge social controversy, and even a lot of other popular games, are due to the emergence of WOW is catalyzed. In the years since the WOW operation, two questions have been asked: "Wow" can do better, and how to do it better? The previous question poured into the player against Wow NoLimited love and attachment, the latter question points to blizzard and the mainland operator's ability and sense of responsibility. However, behind this seemingly beautiful and bright goal, there is a need for countless people to make efforts, or even fight. That year, Complacent's nine city, "Warcraft" April 1, 2004, the Nineth City and Blizzard Entertainment jointly announced that the Nineth city to obtain the "World of Warcraft" in China's exclusive agency rights. The April 2005 World of Warcraft began limited public testing on the mainland, and with the server full, there was a new important word in the history of Chinese gaming-queuing up. June 2005, wow in China's formal commercial operations, July paid users more than 1.5 million, November, the highest online number of 500,000. Six months later, the "Burning Expedition" was introduced to China and the game's top player was online more than 1 million. Until June 2009, when the agency contracts for Blizzard and nine cities expired, the mainland had nearly 5 million of World of Warcraft paid subscribers, almost half the total. According to the 2008 annual report of the nine cities, the company's game income was about 380 million yuan, and more than 90% of the revenue came from the operation of World of Warcraft. Complacent's nine-city chairman, Zhu, has set up a new Shenhua football club and even started to consider buying Premier League Liverpool ... It is conceivable that the players, the industry and the nine-city parties were shocked when Blizzard announced that it was no longer renewing its contract with nine cities. When Blizzard announced the transfer of power to NetEase, the nine cities to commercial defamation and property damage to the former court, the degree of anger imaginable. Li Zhiqiang Photo of a rashomon that may never have been the truth about why Blizzard decided to terminate the contract with nine cities, no one has ever given a standard answer. No matter blizzard, nine city or later NetEase, the parties talk about the past, are a secretive attitude. The smoke was hidden behind the scenes, leaving only later to write the history of China's online gaming audience countless speculations and brain repair. There are various speculations about the matter. However, in these guesses, NetEase has become an important variable. As a result, many will always use NetEase "Robbed of Warcraft" to simply and rudely summed up the change of the Agent of Warcraft complex things. "In fact, the first is that Blizzard decided not to renew the nine City of Warcraft, and then NetEase began to negotiate the agency of World of Warcraft," the problem. "This is the official answer given by Li Zhiqiang," We have been wronged for many years on this issue. Because we always say that we have robbed from the hands of the nine City of Warcraft, in fact, NetEase is not the only one to consider the object of blizzard. "In fact, it doesn't make much sense to look at the percentages, the guaranteed costs and so on," Li Zhiqiang said. "At the time, many investors had a lot of speculation about the current" World of Warcraft "mandate, and it's probably no longer important to guess which one is closer to real numbers. And the industry on the matter of various views, has long been fading with the passage of time and slowly fade. But what has not changed is that Blizzard and netease all insist on the official saying: "The two sides come together because the game concept and culture are very fit。 This "World of Warcraft" agent change drama, is still a rashomon door, behind the scenes of various games untold, people can only from the public information to try to figure out one or two, grass snake gray Line, bewildering. All of this is a backdrop to the unprecedented popularity of WOW's operations in China and the great benefits it represents. However, for NetEase and Li Zhiqiang, won the "World of Warcraft" agent right, only just the beginning of the test ... "Resist the curse, give Wow Time" April 2009, NetEase officially announced to obtain the "World of Warcraft" Mainland China agent, operating term of three years. Ding Lei said in the bulletin, "Blizzard Entertainment world-class game development expertise and NetEase's online game operating advantages combined, will be the best gaming experience today to the vast number of players." "Too beautiful a promise because too young." "World of Warcraft" replacement operators can be said to be the most important thing in the history of Chinese online games. 5 million Warcraft players are raised expectations, the high value of the internal NetEase, as well as the whole industry to see the play mentality, are transformed into pressure, fell on the Li Zhiqiang of the network led by the easy body. 09 NetEase to usher in Wow and set up the server Li Zhiqiang Look, that year, the operation of "World of Warcraft", huge difficulties from three aspects: first, from the Blizzard April announced the transfer of power, to nine city of the old contract expires at the end of June, NetEase must complete all the preparations from the server configuration to the operations team within three months, and will usher in the millions of "World of Warcraft" player's tide in the on-line moment. Second, in the user data transfer and other handover work, NetEase encountered a lot of resistance. When the royal agent of the "legend" and the Long tour agent of the "Jin Dance troupe", the change of the agent is a continuation of the dispute, even if there has been disputes did not involve the original user data transfer. and "Wow" is more serious than this. Third, when things happen "positive" government departments regulate the management of online games. April 27, 2007, the Office of the Ministry of Culture issued the "Regulations on the import of online game products review and declaration of the work," said clearly that the network game "change the right to operate after the batch number to be declared", "just" catch up with the "World of Warcraft" trip. All these three things are in the development of Chinese online games from no one encountered, the solution can not be used for reference. "No government, no machine, or customer service is not working, any of the same can lead to the World of Warcraft is not online." There are a lot of serious consequences, we don't even know how to solve the problem. "Even the most central staff in the House can't see a clear timetable," Li Zhiqiang said. "NetEase and Blizzard are like fighting an endless war. The unprecedented pressure comes not from the enormous amount of work, but from the fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable, but the time is not Li Zhiqiang to do too much thinking, can only fumble, side forward. On the one hand NetEase began to lobby the government on the issue of vetting, to start in the "World of Warcraft" new version of the application. On the other hand, the operation of infrastructure work is in full swing. Initially, NetEase plans toNine city hands to buy the original "World of Warcraft" operating resources, including persuading nine cities to the server and other hardware equipment and customer service team for a certain amount of transfer. But the loss of economic backbone of the nine city nature will not easily cooperate with NetEase. McMohan visit NetEase Operations team McMohan to the country to make a certain frustration work, NetEase and Blizzard are transferred from the headquarters of a large number of staff stationed in Shanghai for several months, began to buy their own servers, the formation of customer service team. In order to enable the "World of Warcraft" customer service team to build on time, NetEase Blizzard Cooperation Department from the NetEase headquarters seconded a customer service system "Reggie", within 1.5 months, from the office of Decoration, to customer service personnel recruitment, training, induction, GM tool configuration, all the full gallop to complete, More than 30,000 delivery resumes were reviewed during the process. In the determination of "World of Warcraft" replacement agents, and the nine city operation has not yet expired this time, the player's various speculation and questioning, Nga on the public opinion, nine city official website and forum on the overflow of saliva. As the head of the NetEase Blizzard Cooperation Department, Li Zhiqiang had to face the media frequently, answer the outside doubt, boosted the player confidence. "In order to get more work time for the heroes behind the scenes, to communicate with other people, to see the media these things, do not disturb them, sometimes think about it, I go to the top of the good." In the face of the sharp media, Li Zhiqiang has been willing to "tank" mentality. "This project is the biggest thing in the whole online gaming circle. "Li Zhiqiang recalled that time, still lingering fear," NetEase and Blizzard team is like to fight an endless war. During this time, everyone has no concept of work, China and the United States sometimes bad, we deal with China during the day, and at night to communicate with Blizzard headquarters. "Until now, we netease and blizzard of a lot of old friends to eat and drink together, but also chat to the story of the year, no one wants such things to happen again," Li Zhiqiang laughs, "but we all cherish have such a experience." "Stop service surprise 104 days Li Zhiqiang photos June 7, 2009 early morning," World of Warcraft "national clothing shut down all the servers, wow nine City era officially announced the end. After a long effort, NetEase finally got the "World of Warcraft" all the user data. Nine city also issued a notice to NetEase and "World of Warcraft" expressed a blessing. However, after the replacement of the agent of "World of Warcraft" at this time has not received the Ministry of Culture and the new batch, NetEase so not immediately after the nine cities to start operations, but announced that the first batch of servers will be opened in late June. This means that as many as millions of of the country's players have nowhere to go for at least half a month. However, two weeks later, the approval of World of Warcraft is still no result, the new dress is not open as scheduled, many players ' anxious waiting began to turn into anger. At the end of June, Warcraft players began a wide range of rights action, such as someone organized about 5000 people of the scale of the player team, and suddenly landed NetEase "dream West Tour", resulting in the game Seven servers all paralyzed, in order to express the anger of NetEase. June 29 to 30th, only two days, 315 Web sites on "Warcraft" complaints reached nearly 3,000. Nga and some of the relevant web forums have also started to surge, with anxious gamers questioning operators on the web, and name-calling began to emerge. "The immortal Fights, the little Devil suffers" July 16, NetEase in its "World of Warcraft" official website released the "Wow" transition Bulletin, said NetEase engineers have completed all technical preparation work, all the role data has been converted to the new server. At the same time, NetEase stressed that the game restart still need to wait for government approval. July 21, "World of Warcraft" approved by the Ministry of Culture. However, it is still awaiting the advice of the board. On the same night, the director of the department said that the "World of Warcraft" content review has been completed, the specific amendments have been formally submitted to the reporting unit on July 19. NetEase and Blizzard at this time are concentrating on the approval of the "disharmony" part of the revision work. The department said that, considering the operational agent conversion in a large number of data needs to be combed, involving the interests of millions of players, in the blizzard content modification, allowing NetEase from July 30 to carry out internal testing. "During the period, the operating company may not charge, not to provide a new account registration" until the version of the formal approval of the department. September 19, 2009, "World of Warcraft" restart commercial operations, allowing players to create a new account, and charge again. In the blank 104 days, the experience of chaos and pain for the player and NetEase, are difficult to speak. During the rumor-taking period, World of Warcraft lost at least 25% of its players: on the one hand, a large number of national players in the stop during the transfer to the Taiwan service, became later Chivandi mouth of the "locust players"; On the other hand, many domestic manufacturers in this period of time to promote the same kind of competition, trying to divert away from the Warcraft fans everywhere. By the end of 2009, the development of things more ups and downs, after all kinds of unexpected twists and turns, finally in the early hours of November 3, 2009, "World of Warcraft" stopped serving 12 hours, the same day midday, NetEase issued a bulletin called "World of Warcraft" routine maintenance ahead of schedule, the game continues to operate. February 12, 2010, after a big six months of turmoil, the general administration of Press and publication approved by the NetEase "World of Warcraft: Burning Expedition," which makes NetEase finally out of the policy risk of illegal operation. Since then, the National Service "World of Warcraft" into a smooth operation stage. Li Zhiqiang for the "King of Draenor" in the media interview later, there are also play home ' immortal Fights, Little devil ' to describe this period of ups and downs of the experience. "All verbal abuse is fair, because we have no excuse" is also in this period of time, animated short film "Internet Addiction War" quietly popular, the work of "World of Warcraft" behind the operation of events, government approval of the spat, but also for the players vent a lot of waiting for "wrath of the Lich King," a full two years of accumulated dissatisfaction. And in the "Internet addiction War" behind, there are more naked accusations thrown to NetEase. In all of these processes, Li Zhiqiang has been a key player in the behind-the-scenes efforts to mediate between the parties. After NetEase commentaryPrice Li Zhiqiang, said it "for the" World of Warcraft's proxy handover and operation made a significant contribution. "We don't know how many frustrations we have experienced behind a simple compliment." When asked how to view the user to stop the service scold, Li Zhiqiang said "the game should have been a very easy thing, but stopped serving so long, the player is a very big blow." Some of the difficulties behind us, players do not need to know. So their criticisms are fair and we have no excuse. "Intersection work complete, approval dust settles, Li Zhiqiang 2010 beginning from NetEase mysterious leave, return to school study." Until the end of 2011, Li Zhiqiang "Back out of the lake", as the vice president of NetEase Enterprise Development, to participate in the new business level of NetEase market assessment and strategic planning. "Wow 10 years, there are countless people to serve the faith," "Golden Millennium, we eat and drink together, is not prone to contradictions." Usually through the test together, the issue of the Cardinal has the same value orientation, only to promote the long-term feelings of two people. "Through the twists and turns of World of Warcraft, Li Zhiqiang describes the emotions between NetEase and Blizzard," he said. Today, the cooperation of two companies has matured. From "The Riddle of the Panda" to "the King of Draenor", the National Costume "World of Warcraft" data has been two times to achieve global synchronization, "Stone legend: Naxxramas" Because of the time zone, even in the mainland region has appeared "the Whole universe start" grand. And with the "Diablo 3" agent, Blizzard family of the entire series also in the efforts of NetEase reunion in the National service. In NetEase's imperceptible, now blizzard to Chinese import game's approval standard already grasps correctly, "knows when the flow what kind of blood is may, when the blood is not possible". Li Zhiqiang said, "in the early stages of introducing a game, we will inform the Blizzard game in advance of the plot, characters, art, which may encounter the problem of approval, so as to amend in advance." "World of Warcraft: The King of Draenor" I think now we are more like a pair of sworn brothers, initially just friends to work together to do business, and then the relationship more and more intimate, nearly ten old friends feelings have been good to inseparable. "Li Zhiqiang used a very" lake "metaphor. That year Li Zhiqiang own purchase of the first American clothing "World of Warcraft" account has been used today, "King of Draenor" in the United States to open the first two days, because the server congestion, he himself also failed to log up. Li Zhiqiang from the 80 's since the beginning of contact with video games, with Apple2 play "Genesis" series, with the red and white machine play Nintendo games, but also play "Jin Yong Qun zhuan", "Yuan Jian" such a domestic classic. However, Li Zhiqiang said, he is not a "high play." Although the love of the game, but because of busy work, playing stand-alone games do not have time to perfect clearance and serious, playing online games even daily Online can not do, let alone on time to land and participate in raid. "I have to participate in the trade union in Warcraft, where children to sixty or seventy years old old people have, and I tend to be the most slowly in the land reclamation progress, fortunately they do not know who I am.""In the past 10 years, WOW has had a profound impact on his career and has become a part of his life," Li Zhiqiang said. "World of Warcraft" has been accompanied by a long decade of time for the players, for most people, this decade means a good youth, so many people married, have the burden of life, still adhere to this faith. For Li Zhiqiang, he wants this faith to never stop: "I hope that the World of Warcraft can go on." Because ten years of WOW in the process of metamorphosis, has been evolving, has a vitality. "