China is very strange about video games. Thanks to restrictive legislation that covers exactly what can and can’t be shown in digital entertainment, getting a game released in China can be a serious pain. For instance, the Chinese release of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King was delayed by over a year because gaming laws prevent the showing of skulls or blood. So, Blizzard had to go back through the game line by line and replace all the skeleton stuff with different content—no small feat, considering how skeleton-centric Wrath happened to be. 

Diablo III appears to be the latest casualty in the Chinese war against scary things. Apparently the word “Diablo” isn’t allowed in China (or maybe the game isn’t?), so online retailers have rebranded the game in order to skirt the country’s ridiculous laws. If you’re in China and you want to play Diablo III, the game you’re now looking for is “Pineapple 3.”

Yes, Pineapple 3. Basically, the companies using this method have changed the name from “Diablo” to “Da Boluo,” which sounds similar phonetically but translates into “Big Pineapple.” Some retailers are even replacing the game’s box art with pictures of pineapples, which hopefully will result in at least one young child receiving the game as an accidental birthday present.

What a world.

[Ubergizmo]

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