China's Gamesmanship
中国网络游戏监管之争
Online gamers can get pretty aggressive. They're nothing compared with two Chinese bureaucracies engaged in a turf war.
网络游戏玩家的攻击性可能很强。不过，与中国两家陷入地盘争夺战的监管机构相比，他们只是小巫见大巫而已。
World of Warcraft, a phenomenally popular online fantasy game, is at the center of one such battle. Concerns that it could be banned from China have hit the stock price of Nasdaq-listed NetEase.com, the company that licenses the game in China from Activision Blizzard.
红极一时的魔幻类网络游戏《魔兽世界》(World of Warcraft)正是两家机构争夺的焦点。此前网易从动视暴雪(Activision Blizzard)手里获得了《魔兽世界》在中国大陆的独家运营权。由于投资者担心这款游戏可能会在中国遭禁，在纳斯达克上市的网易的股价受到严重打击。
Investors are probably overdoing it in NetEase's case: The stock fell 10% in the week through Wednesday, although it was up midmorning Thursday. World of Warcraft is operational on the mainland and, on balance, it seems unlikely it will be blocked.
在这一点上，投资者或许反应过度了：本周截至周三，网易股价跌了10%，不过周四早盘有所回升。《魔兽世界》在中国大陆是可以运营的，总的来说，不太可能遭禁。
But jitters over Chinese Internet stocks that license foreign games will continue until there's clarity over who's running the regulatory show.
不过，在谁将获得监管大权这个问题变得明了之前，投资者仍会对那些获得外国游戏运营权的中国互联网类股感到不安。
In theory, the Ministry of Culture is in charge. Beijing gave it purview over the Internet gaming industry in September. But that's put noses out of joint over at the General Administration of Press and Publication, which previously ruled the Internet gaming roost.
理论上讲，文化部负责此事。政府9月份给了文化部审查网络游戏业的权力。不过这让此前监管网络游戏业的新闻出版总署很是不满。
Last weekend, GAPP issued a draconian circular requiring its pre-approval for all new online games as well as when new companies take on the operation of existing games. It also banned foreign companies from operating games in China, even when in partnership with a local company.
上周末，新闻出版总署发布了一份严厉的通知，要求所有新推出的网络游戏和新建公司运营已有游戏时都必须预先获得它的批准。它还禁止外国企业在中国运营游戏，即使是与本地企业合作运营。
NetEase took on the license for World of Warcraft in China this summer. While it obtained permission from the Ministry of Culture to operate WoW, it seems not to been given the go-ahead by GAPP.
网易今年夏季获得了《魔兽世界》在中国的独家运营权。在运营《魔兽世界》一事上，它获得了文化部的批准，看起来却没有获得新闻出版总署的同意。
The likely result? The Ministry of Culture will probably pull rank and overrule GAPP.
结果可能会怎样呢？文化部可能会胜出，否决新闻出版总署的决定。
GAPP's moves have muddied the waters for future upgrades to the game, though, as well as other foreign games looking to launch in China.
不过，新闻出版总署的做法给《魔兽世界》今后的升级和其他试图在中国推出的外国游戏带来了不确定性。
Meanwhile, the safe path for those looking to invest in China's Internet gaming sector will be to pick companies that develop their own games in-house. Otherwise they risk the fallout from China's warring state institutions.
与此同时，对于那些考虑投资中国网络游戏业的人来说，一条安全的途径将是选择那些自己开发游戏的公司。否则，他们有可能会被中国监管机构之间的大战所伤及。
