“Plague Inc. smartphone game banned in China amid worldwide COVID-19 outbreak - Global News” plus 1 more

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Plague Inc. smartphone game banned in China amid worldwide COVID-19 outbreak - Global News Posted: 29 Feb 2020 10:45 AM PST A popular smartphone game that simulates the spread of deadly viruses and diseases around the world has been banned from the Apple App Store by Chinese authorities, according to its developers. In a statement released Thursday, the maker of Plague Inc. said it was "devastated" over Chinese players not being able to access or play the game. READ MORE: COVID-19 — Canada's public health agency weighs stronger protection for workers The company said it isn't clear whether the game's removal, which was ordered by the Cyberspace Administration of China, is linked to the spread of a new coronavirus that has dominated world headlines since early January. To date, the disease has spread to at least 57 countries and has infected more than 85,400 people. At least 2,900 deaths worldwide have been attributed to the virus. 2:23COVID-19: Hundreds remain in lockdown at Canary Islands hotel after new case confirmed in Italian national COVID-19: Hundreds remain in lockdown at Canary Islands hotel after new case confirmed in Italian national "This situation is completely out of our control," read developer Ndemic Creations' statement. Story continues below advertisement The game, first released eight years ago, has been a top performer on both the App Store and Google Play and has been played by over 130 million users. According to its developers, Plague Inc. has been "the most popular paid game in China for many years" and is an "intelligent and sophisticated simulation that encourages players to think and learn more about serious public health issues." 1:47World Health Organization raises COVID-19 risk to highest level World Health Organization raises COVID-19 risk to highest level The company previously told people to not use the game to predict the spread of the novel coronavirus — which causes a disease dubbed COVID-19 — after its popularity spiked. "Plague Inc. is a hyper-realistic model of the world," the game tells its players. "Plan your strategy and evolve your disease accordingly." READ MORE: Iran prepares to test 'tens of thousands' for COVID-19 as cases spike The game models realistic transmission and mutation mechanics of several diseases, with each infection starting off in a single country. It challenges users to spread that infection by adding transmission vectors and mutating it throughout the course of the game. Ndemic said it's now working to find a way to get the game back to Chinese players, but that the chances of its return to that market are pretty slim. 3:12What measures have Canadian airports taken since the COVID-19 outbreak? What measures have Canadian airports taken since the COVID-19 outbreak? "We don't want to give up on you — however, as a tiny independent games studio in the U.K., the odds are stacked against us," the statement read. Story continues below advertisement READ MORE: Canada could move to more active surveillance of COVID-19. Here's what that means. "Nothing is changing outside of mainland China: we will continue to support and update both Plague Inc. and our newest game Rebel Inc. on all platforms whilst also working hard to try and find a way to bring Plague Inc. back to players in China." © 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS REPORT AN ERROR

Millions in China banish coronavirus blues with online games, video apps - CNA Posted: 04 Feb 2020 12:00 AM PST BEIJING: Online games and short video apps have been among the few beneficiaries of China's virus outbreak, raking in millions of views and downloads as people stuck in self-quarantine at home seek entertainment and ways to beguile their time. The shift has even drawn companies more used to doing business in showrooms, such as carmakers Tesla and Mercedes-Benz, to promote products heavily online during the week. Advertisement Advertisement Chinese travel and gather with family and friends during the traditional Lunar New Year holiday, but many postponed or cancelled their plans over concerns sparked in mid-January about the spread of a new virus that has killed 420. "I only use my mobile phone for three hours a day at work, but at least eight hours every day during the Spring Festival, because it's so boring," Lu Zhang, a junior high school teacher in eastern Shandong province, said of the enforced holiday. READ: 2 more cities in Zhejiang under lockdown READ: China coronavirus death toll soars past 400 Advertisement Advertisement Investors have seized on the trend, with shares of Chinese game publishers, such as Tencent, rising 2 per cent in Hong Kong on Tuesday, outstripping a rise of 1 per cent in the benchmark, while in New York, NetEase rose nearly 3 per cent. US-listed shares in Chinese video platform Bilibili rose almost 7 per cent, while shares of search engine Baidu and e-commerce giant Alibaba also rose. Five mobile game developers, including Ourpalm, surged by the maximum allowed 10 per cent on Tuesday. Weekly downloads jumped 77 per cent on ByteDance's Xigua video app from Jan 20 to Jan 26, after it announced plans to stream the premiere of a movie, Lost in Russia for free, data from performance tracker App Annie showed. "My screen time yesterday exceeded 10 hours," one Shanghai resident, identified only as Wang, said in a social media post, adding, "What do you all suggest I do other than look at my cellphone?" FILE PHOTO: People wear protective masks in an old neighbourhood of Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of novel coronavirus, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Also popular are health and fitness apps, such as Keep, which livestreams fitness classes. Its revenue surged 15 per cent for the week, while healthcare app Pingan Good Doctor saw downloads jump 1,186 per cent. "We believe that China internet and logistics companies are somewhat sheltered," from the impact of the virus outbreak, analysts from Bernstein Research wrote in a Monday note, amid a growing trend for all products and services to move online. Tencent's blockbuster mobile game, Honour of Kings made up to 2 billion yuan (US$286 million) on the Jan 24 eve of the holiday, estimated Pei Pei, an analyst with Sinolink Securities, exceeding all the Chinese mobile games on Apple's app store during the entire week-long break in 2018. Tencent declined to comment. Strategy simulation app Plague Inc, which jumped to the top of the charts in Apple's app store, retained its popularity. The game, which allows users to create and evolve a pathogen to destroy the world, generated 78,000 downloads in January, up from 16,000 in December, according to Sensor Tower. "Many students play games during the Spring Festival," said the junior high teacher, Lu, adding that she spent more than five hours each day playing poker, among other games. "Sometimes they invite me to join when they see me online." US electric vehicle maker Tesla, which started delivery in December of cars built at its US$2 billion Shanghai plant, stepped up daily livestreamed sales events on video app Douyin to highlight features of its vehicles. Several sales dealers for Mercedes Benz also took to the WeChat app with a link to a 360-degree interior view of its GLB compact SUV, simulating the passenger experience and offering close-ups of the seats' leather stitching details and dashboard. "Not leaving home, so use virtual reality to look at cars!" one of the representatives exhorted viewers. BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage on the Wuhan coronavirus and its developments Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the Wuhan virus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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