Rumor: Giant CEO, MMO R&D Team Clash
TechWeb, 11/18/10
According to a source at Chinese game developer and operator Giant Interactive (NYSE: GA), Ji Xuefeng, VP and creator of Giant's self-developed MMORPG ZT Online II, got into a heated dispute with CEO Shi Yuzhu concerning the direction of the game's development.
The source claims that while Shi Yuzhu was not involved in earlier stages of R&D, but injected himself into preparations on the eve of the game's unlimited closed beta testing period. Discovering that a number of game elements were significantly different from the game's predecessor ZT Online, Shi proposed delaying the test, originally scheduled for late November, and Ji stridently disagreed.
The disagreement centers around specific differences between the two games, including a reduction in player-versus-player in ZT Online II; a focus on general audiences rather than veteran players; and a number of new features, including virtual homes and pets.
According to the source, a compromise was eventually reached.
Keywords: Giant Interactive ZT Online ZT Online II Ji Xuefeng Shi Yuzhu closed beta Internet MMORPG GA self-developed game online gaming
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