WoW Cuisine in Beijing.

DEC. 9, 2008 • Chinese television channel CCTV reported that a new World of Warcraft-themed restaurant has opened in Beijing. The dining room is named Hall of Snow Storms, and images from the game are presented on large plasma TVs. The report didn’t disclose whether the restaurant is officially licensed by Activision Blizzard.

Impact: Theme-branded entertainment venues are a page right out of the Disney playbook.The strategy is also a major component of nascent retailer Gamer Doc Video Games. That a World of Warcraft restaurant popped up in China is no surprise. The MMO has had enormous success there. The idea probably has legs as an official merchandising opportunity worldwide if Activision Blizzard is open to strategizing beyond games, and capitalizing on its 11 million users.