World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the latest expansion for World of Warcraft, is about to be released in China. It's scheduled to be released on July 12, seven months after it was released here in the West. It might sound like a long time, but compared to previous expansions it's actually the shortest time so far.
The Burning Crusade came out eight months late, while Wrath of the Lich King ended up being rejected by the Chinese authorities over and over again until it was released 23 months late. There was also a big drama about who would actually run World of Warcraft in China at the time.
It will be interesting to see what a Chinese release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will mean for the game's global subscription numbers (even if Chinese players don't subscribe in the same way we do). Stay tuned.