China's NetEase gives fatigue system a try

News service Pacific Epoch reported this week that Beijing-based NetEase, one of China's largest game operators, will implement a test of its internally developed online game fatigue system. The test will occur on two servers that support gameplay for Fantasy Westward Journey, one of NetEase's most popular games.

Last month, fatigue systems were mandated by the government body that oversees the online game sector in China, the General Administration of Press and Publication, and are expected top be implemented across a broad spectrum of games starting next year.

As reported earlier, companies that have voiced their endorsement of the system include NetEase, Shanda, The9, Optisp, Kingsoft, SINA, and Sohu.

Games slated to adopt the system include The Legend of Mir II, The World of Legend, Westward Journey Online, Fantasy Westward Journey Online, World of Warcraft, MU, JX Online, First Myth Online, The Legend of Mir 3G, Lineage II, and Blade Online.

In other NetEase news, the company said this week that its acting CEO, Ted Sun, had died in Hong Kong after a long-term illness. Sun's duties had transitioned earlier to NetEase COO Michael Tong and CFO Denny Lee. A search for a new CEO is ongoing.

On the Nasdaq, shares of Netease.com spiked Tuesday as investors sought havens from domestic stocks battered by fears that Hurricane Rita could undermine the value of the broader US markets. NetEase stock rose by $4.64, or 5.9 percent, on heavy volume that day. At press time today, the stock was trading flat at $82.58.