China's Joyland Park Rips Off StarCraft and WoW

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
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China's Joyland Park Rips Off StarCraft and WoW

Unlicensed by Blizzard, the huge park in Changzhou freely uses images from the two franchises.

The term Chinese knockoff doesn't even begin to cover Joyland. The massive theme park has two portions - "Terrain of Magic" and "Universe of Starship" - and it is rife with images that would look familiar to anyone who's played Blizzard's games in the last ten years. Joyland's organizers want the park to compete with Universal Studios or Disney World, but the massive lawsuit looming over the park over trademark infringement will likely see it close down soon.

[gallery=528]

The stated goal of the Joyland actually sounds interesting. "World Joyland will gather the world's best contents of digital culture, combine the newest digital entertainment and interactive technologies, partially realize anime-and-game virtual sceneries, innovate anime and game communication and display methods, interpret the core value of digital culture, archive education during entertainment."

A real Blizzard theme park that achieved those goals would be truly something amazing, and an attraction for geeks the world over. But the eyewitness descriptions of the park leave much to be desired beyond the ethics of its stolen imagery. "One of the most disturbing parts of the park was the general decay we witnessed, unnerving in a park open only a hair shy of two months. Cracks in paint and rust on handrails made the attendants' habit of screaming 'Goodbye!' as the roller coaster surged out of the gates even more terrifying," recalled one visitor to Joyland.

If nothings else, seeing these pictures makes me realize that Blizzard really needs to get a move on with making a real amusement park.

Source: Shanghaiist [http://shanghaiist.com/2011/07/15/joyland_the_blizzard_bits.php]

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Alar

The Stormbringer
Dec 1, 2009
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I do recall hearing about this a couple months back. Such a blatant rip-off... and yet I doubt Blizzard will be able to do anything about it, Chinese copyright law being what it is (practically non-existent).
 

Fappy

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Jan 4, 2010
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Imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

Also, is it bad that 90% of my ideas for posting on this article involved racist "you must be this tall" jokes? I need some new material >.>
 
Sep 14, 2009
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Fappy said:
Imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

Also, is it bad that 90% of my ideas for posting on this article involved racist "you must be this tall" jokes? I need some new material >.>
same thing thought up.

also, on the pictures...who the fuck wears a pancho on a water ride?

that is the whole fucking point...it is a water ride...
 

The Virgo

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Jul 21, 2011
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Man, those Chinese are something else, aren't they? Why should a little thing like copyrights prevent them from making money? I bet that's what their mentality is.

To be honest, I hope Blizzard sues them. If not, I want to know why it is they will sue a PRIVATE SERVER for $88,000,000, but won't go after guys who have A WHOLE FUCKING THEME PARK using their stuff. Oh please, Blizzard. At least try to.
 

martyrdrebel27

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Feb 16, 2009
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i think it's time we build a theme park and jack chinese things and laugh when they sue us. we could put... walls. and uh... cheap toys. and chicken... and overcrowding. that's already all american theme parks...

what exactly does china have that we can rip off? all i'm coming up with is a giant wall and clay soldiers... but fuck it, we'll rip that shit off good!
 

imnot

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Apr 23, 2010
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martyrdrebel27 said:
i think it's time we build a theme park and jack chinese things and laugh when they sue us. we could put... walls. and uh... cheap toys. and chicken... and overcrowding. that's already all american theme parks...

what exactly does china have that we can rip off? all i'm coming up with is a giant wall and clay soldiers... but fuck it, we'll rip that shit off good!
Communism,
WELCOME TO EQUAL LAND!
Of course everyone would have to have one each, and youd be allowed one ride one ALL the rides You have to ride the ALL or it is not Equal enough!
 

TitanAtlas

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Oct 14, 2010
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Well 3 things i would like to say... That is a hilarious Ripoff, the disorganization is horrible, and everything in that park just screams "Cheap materials" that will end injuring or killing someone...
 

Infernai

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Apr 14, 2009
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Urgh.....what is it with people and ripping shit off so blatantly? I mean jeeze! At this rate, it's going to be 'Limbo Of The Lost' all over again, and I'm sure the very small minority remember just how well THAT little issue ended (Horribly for the game-makers, although to be fair the game was total shit so it wasn't a big loss).

Anyway, point is, blatant rip-offs are always grounds for drama
 

Worgen

Follower of the Glorious Sun Butt.
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Apr 1, 2009
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Whatever, just wash your hands.
That is pretty blatent, but it is strange to see something from heroes V mixed in there



Why don't the Chinese try making something original, I mean they have a long fascinating history and interesting monsters, why is it japan is the only one who seems to be able to do anything with it.
 

kajinking

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Aug 12, 2009
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I'm not too familiar with WOW but I'm a huge fan of starcraft so for the first couple screens there was some doubt about the ripoff. Then I saw written in plain English WOW, ok maybe that can stand for something else. However when I saw the words STARCRAFT written in giant golden letters over the park even I knew this was a rip off. Sad thing is that the only real thing I KNEW was from WOW was the gnome picture.
 

Spartan448

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Apr 2, 2011
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It's the chineese, so what gonna do? Before the Cold War, we could have stopped all this easily, just by placing embargos on Chineese goods. Now, however, that we've allowed them to spread, the knockoffs can come from anywhere and anyone. Italy faces a particularly bad problem with this, as Chineese sweatshops have set up, and are driving out local, honest businesses by using cheap materials and lower prices, under the same coveted "Made in Italy" tag in the fasion industry, sullying Italy's reputation in that field, and creating a trade defecit. China needs to be dealt with, and soon, or it could create unnecessary problems of racism, segregation, and skepticism across the globe as nations try to salvage their export industry.
 

DeadlyYellow

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Jun 18, 2008
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Fappy said:
Imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

Also, is it bad that 90% of my ideas for posting on this article involved racist "you must be this tall" jokes? I need some new material >.>
Isn't that a Japanese stereotype? A lot of the people I were around in China were actually taller than me, and I stand at 6' 2".
 

Lt. Vinciti

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Nov 5, 2009
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DeadlyYellow said:
Fappy said:
Imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

Also, is it bad that 90% of my ideas for posting on this article involved racist "you must be this tall" jokes? I need some new material >.>
Isn't that a Japanese stereotype? A lot of the people I were around in China were actually taller than me, and I stand at 6' 2".
Oh then I dont know how you wandered into the Yao Ming cloning facility.....


JK


OT:
Well it looks kinda cool for a park...not going to lie the Lich King Waterslide looks like fun
 

Fappy

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Jan 4, 2010
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DeadlyYellow said:
Fappy said:
Imitation is the strongest form of flattery.

Also, is it bad that 90% of my ideas for posting on this article involved racist "you must be this tall" jokes? I need some new material >.>
Isn't that a Japanese stereotype? A lot of the people I were around in China were actually taller than me, and I stand at 6' 2".
I've always heard it was Chinese, but what do I know? My old roommates is in China right now. I'll be sure to ask him about the average stature over there next time I catch him on Steam.