An online game based on Zhang Yimou's colorful martial arts film, House of Flying Daggers, is expected to be released in China early next year by T2CN. The game is being produced by Woncore Communications using MMO middleware from BigWorld (Dark & Light, Stargate Worlds), and there are no current plans to make it available outside the Chinese market. However, given the popularity of international star Zhang Ziyi and Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro (not to mention Andy Lau), Flying Daggers could make its way to other Asian countries. Gameplay details are non-existent at this point, but those familiar with the film might remember that the conflict between the story's two factions was never resolved. Which side would you choose?House of Flying Daggers is one of 21 online games that were selected for the Made in China Online Game Project, which was established by China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) to promote domestic game development. GAPP is reportedly investing RMB 2 billion (app. US$250 million) in this initiative, which also involves setting up four national online gaming bases in Shanghai, Beijing, and the provinces of Guangdong and Sichuan.
See also: China online gaming trends
