You Stole My Vegetables! Toucai – The Latest Addictive Game Application on China’s Social Networks
“你今天偷菜了吗？” “Have you stolen vegetables today?” From middle school students, to white collar workers, and even retirees – Chinese netizens of all ages are obsessed with 偷菜 toucai, the latest online gaming application sprouting up all across China’s social network sites (SNS). Players own a virtual farm where they plant fruits and vegetables. They purchase [...]
The Language and Branding of QQ in China
Last week Josh left the following comment on my post, “An Introduction to Virtual Currency in Chinaâ€:
“Speaking of QQ, I’m pretty interested in the company behind that brand. I’ve seen the QQ logo everywhere from candy to cars. Are they really that diversified or is it just various companies using that particular popular brand association?â€
This [...]
In China It’s Xiaonei, Not Facebook
It’s eleven p.m. in China and 23 year-old Beijing University master’s student Peilin has just sat down in front of her brand new Lenovo IdeaPad. She clicks open QQ and MSN to instant message her friends. While she chats she uses Baidu to search for BBS message boards containing advice on peripherals for her new [...]
