https://www.scmp.com/rss/501962/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com This article originally appeared on ABACUS For many gamers in China, Mini World: Block Art is just another knockoff of the popular sandbox video game Minecraft. But the mobile app of the kid-friendly game was recently removed from Chinese app stores for allegedly hiding something its young players would never expect to find: Invites to pornography. A local media investigation found that in addition to collecting virtual wood and building pixelated houses, Mini World players can also find... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3082371/porn-minecraft-knockoff-report-gets-copycat-removed-app-stores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3082371/porn-minecraft-knockoff-report-gets-copycat-removed-app-stores?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:30:58 +0000 For many gamers in China, Mini World: Block Art is just another knockoff of the popular sandbox video game Minecraft. But the mobile app of the kid-friendly game was recently removed from Chinese app stores for allegedly hiding something its young players would never expect to find: Invites to pornography. A local media investigation found that in addition to collecting virtual wood and building pixelated houses, Mini World players can also find pornographic content if they accept invitations to... https://www.scmp.com/games/porn-minecraft-knockoff-report-gets-copycat-removed-app-stores/article/3082315?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/porn-minecraft-knockoff-report-gets-copycat-removed-app-stores/article/3082315?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:30:56 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS People who want to play Ring Fit Adventure have found the game hard to buy as the coronavirus epidemic has sent demand surging and disrupted supplies. But in China, even the fakes are becoming harder to find. The new Nintendo exercise game comes with a Ring-Con and Leg Strap. Players slot their controllers into the two accessories to track their movement across a range of activities in the game. It’s become a hit in China recently, because it allows... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3064688/even-fake-ring-fit-adventure-controllers-are-running-out-stock-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3064688/even-fake-ring-fit-adventure-controllers-are-running-out-stock-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 21:00:20 +0000 People who want to play Ring Fit Adventure have found the game hard to buy as the coronavirus epidemic has sent demand surging and disrupted supplies. But in China, even the fakes are becoming harder to find. The new Nintendo exercise game comes with a Ring-Con and Leg Strap. Players slot their controllers into the two accessories to track their movement across a range of activities in the game. It’s become a hit in China recently because it allows people to stay active while stuck at home... https://www.scmp.com/tech/even-fake-ring-fit-adventure-controllers-are-running-out-stock-china/article/3064554?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/even-fake-ring-fit-adventure-controllers-are-running-out-stock-china/article/3064554?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 21:00:18 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS The founder of smartphone maker Xiaomi couldn’t have been pleased when he found out his name was being used as an electric car brand. But that was rectified this week when the Beijing Intellectual Property Court ruled that Weifang Ruichi Automotive Systems infringed on Xiaomi’s trademark by naming one of its cars Lei Jun Electric, capitalizing on the name of Xiaomi’s CEO. The case had been ongoing since 2015, with Xiaomi arguing that naming a car Lei... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3045562/ev-company-can-no-longer-sell-car-xiaomi-founders-name?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3045562/ev-company-can-no-longer-sell-car-xiaomi-founders-name?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2020 08:48:44 +0000 The founder of smartphone maker Xiaomi couldn’t have been pleased when he found out his name was being used as an electric car brand. But that was rectified this week when the Beijing Intellectual Property Court ruled that Weifang Ruichi Automotive Systems infringed on Xiaomi’s trademark by naming one of its cars Lei Jun Electric, capitalizing on the name of Xiaomi’s CEO. The case had been ongoing since 2015, with Xiaomi arguing that naming a car Lei Jun caused confusion among buyers and... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/ev-company-can-no-longer-sell-car-xiaomi-founders-name/article/3045475?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/ev-company-can-no-longer-sell-car-xiaomi-founders-name/article/3045475?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2020 08:48:43 +0000 Apple’s iPhone brand might have taken a hit in China because of increased trade tensions but its AirPods – the company’s second best-selling product of all time – are still a big hit, so much so that local factories are rushing to knock-off the latest versions that go on sale Wednesday in the US for US$249. “We will have earphones identical to Apple’s AirPods Pro available for sale very soon, possibly within the next two or three days,” a salesman surnamed Fu, who sells electronics in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apples-new-airpods-pro-are-already-being-copied-china/article/3035515?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apples-new-airpods-pro-are-already-being-copied-china/article/3035515?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:20:21 +0000 Remember that blatant The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild clone that came out of China last month? The same company is at it again! This time the target is Ace Attorney. Shanghai-based game developer miHoYo just released a trailer for a new mobile game that seems to have taken a lot of the signature features of Capcom’s classic legal drama game Ace Attorney. Even the name, which translates as The Unknown Case File, suggests something about where the game’s inspiration comes from. The real... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/company-copied-zelda-breath-wild-has-phoenix-wright-clone-now/article/3020798?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/company-copied-zelda-breath-wild-has-phoenix-wright-clone-now/article/3020798?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:07:51 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Remember that blatant The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild clone that came out of China last month? The same company is at it again! This time the target is Ace Attorney. Shanghai-based game developer miHoYo just released a trailer for a new mobile game that seems to have taken a lot of the signature features of Capcom’s classic legal drama game Ace Attorney. Even the name, which translates as The Unknown Case File, suggests something about where the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3029511/company-copied-zelda-breath-wild-has-phoenix-wright-clone-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3029511/company-copied-zelda-breath-wild-has-phoenix-wright-clone-now?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:07:51 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS A new game called Let’s Go Pokémon Mobile has Pokémon fans buzzing with excitement online. There’s only one problem: It has nothing to do with Nintendo. Though this knockoff game was developed in China and has been available to download since last December, it wasn’t widely known in its country of origin. Chinese gamers only took note when Western Pokémon fans recently discovered it. Commenters online have been quick to praise the knockoff for having... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029486/chinese-pokemon-knockoff-beautiful-because-almost-everything-copied?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029486/chinese-pokemon-knockoff-beautiful-because-almost-everything-copied?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2019 10:41:43 +0000 A new game called Let’s Go Pokémon Mobile has Pokémon fans buzzing with excitement online. There’s only one problem: It has nothing to do with Nintendo. Though this knockoff game was developed in China and has been available to download since last December, it wasn’t widely known in its country of origin. Chinese gamers only took note when Western Pokémon fans recently discovered it. Commenters online have been quick to praise the knockoff for having lush animations in its fight scenes. This... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-pokemon-knockoff-beautiful-because-almost-everything-copied/article/3018942?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-pokemon-knockoff-beautiful-because-almost-everything-copied/article/3018942?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2019 10:41:43 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS There's no other way to put it: the most talked-about game in China right now looks like a blatant knock-off of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Be it the look, the story or the game mechanics, Chinese developer miHoYo's new game Genshin Impact -- aiming for PC and mobile -- looks to have taken much from the Nintendo game, widely hailed as one of the best of all time. Just like Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact is a cel-shaded, open-world... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029445/chinas-blatant-breath-wild-knock-sparks-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029445/chinas-blatant-breath-wild-knock-sparks-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:01:24 +0000 There's no other way to put it: the most talked-about game in China right now looks like a blatant knock-off of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Be it the look, the story or the game mechanics, Chinese developer miHoYo's new game Genshin Impact -- aiming for PC and mobile -- looks to have taken much from the Nintendo game, widely hailed as one of the best of all time. Just like Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact is a cel-shaded, open-world adventure game featuring a warrior who has... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-blatant-breath-wild-knock-sparks-outrage/article/3016176?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-blatant-breath-wild-knock-sparks-outrage/article/3016176?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:01:24 +0000 Pokémon Detective Pikachu is a hit in China. The live-action movie covering the adventures of the yellow fluffball scored 282 million yuan (about US$41 million) at the Chinese box office over the weekend. But it looks like some companies were a little too eager to cash in on Pikachu’s iconic image. Internet users in China have been unearthing the worst Pikachu merch they could find and publishing them on microblogging platform Weibo under the hashtag “Which factory made this Pikachu?”   Frankly,... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/these-pikachu-knockoffs-china-will-haunt-your-dreams/article/3009991?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/these-pikachu-knockoffs-china-will-haunt-your-dreams/article/3009991?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2019 13:08:40 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Pokémon Detective Pikachu is a hit in China. The live-action movie covering the adventures of the yellow fluffball scored 282 million yuan (about US$41 million) at the Chinese box office over the weekend. But it looks like some companies were a little too eager to cash in on Pikachu’s iconic image. Internet users in China have been unearthing the worst Pikachu merch they could find and publishing them on microblogging platform Weibo under the hashtag... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029346/these-pikachu-knockoffs-china-will-haunt-your-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029346/these-pikachu-knockoffs-china-will-haunt-your-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2019 13:08:40 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Drones, phones, hologram fans and more knockoffs than you can wrap your head around. Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics market is the geeky heart of China’s Silicon Valley of Hardware, but parts of China’s tech Mecca are disappearing. This week, one of Huaqiangbei’s expansive, multistory malls filled with electronic goodies was shut down for demolition. The Gaokede Electronics Building, hosting some 2,000 vendors, closed shop on April 1. Huaqiangbei... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029261/chinas-legendary-knockoff-market-could-soon-be-gone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029261/chinas-legendary-knockoff-market-could-soon-be-gone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 14:19:23 +0000 Drones, phones, hologram fans and more knockoffs than you can wrap your head around. Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics market is the geeky heart of China’s Silicon Valley of Hardware, but parts of China’s tech Mecca are disappearing. This week, one of Huaqiangbei’s expansive, multistory malls filled with electronic goodies was shut down for demolition. The Gaokede Electronics Building, hosting some 2,000 vendors, closed shop on April 1. Huaqiangbei has been called the “barometer” of China’s... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-legendary-knockoff-market-could-soon-be-gone/article/3004453?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-legendary-knockoff-market-could-soon-be-gone/article/3004453?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 14:19:23 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Taobao and JD.com have dominated online shopping in China for years. But now there's a new kid on the block -- and Pinduoduo is nothing like its rivals. (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba -- the owner of Taobao.) The company, founded by an ex-Googler, listed on the Nasdaq in July 2018 to much fanfare, raising more than US$1.6 billion. Still unprofitable right now, Pinduoduo has grown by targeting price-conscious... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/who-what/what/article/3028229/pinduoduo-chinas-hottest-online-shopping-startup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/who-what/what/article/3028229/pinduoduo-chinas-hottest-online-shopping-startup?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Sep 2018 09:27:18 +0000