TheGamingEconomy Daily Digest brings you the trending business stories in gaming. In today’s edition: Tencent selects Dubai for its regional HQ; Blizzard sues Sina Games over copyright infringement; and Telltale Games brand resurrected.

Tencent selects Dubai for its regional HQ

Chinese gaming giant Tencent has selected Dubai Internet City (DIC) as the location for its regional headquarters for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Over 80% of smartphone users in the UAE are estimated to be mobile gamers, with the overall market in the nation growing steadily, to the point where it is now thought to be the 35th largest globally, according to Newzoo.

Commenting on the decision, Vincent Wang, general manager of the Global Publishing Department at Tencent Games, said: "Through our partnership with DIC and by setting up our regional operations in Dubai – which is already home to some of the world’s most cutting-edge companies and highly skilled talents – we look forward to creating a platform that invests in and improves the regional games market, while encouraging local games enthusiasts and developers to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.”

Blizzard sues Sina Games over copyright infringement

Blizzard Entertainment has filed a lawsuit in the US state of California against Sina Games, alleging that their free-to-play title Glorious Saga is “almost entirely copied" from its World of Warcraft IP. Sina Games is also alleged to have removed posts on its social media profiles which highlighted the potential infringement. Blizzard is seeking maximum statutory damages of USD$150,000 (£122,600), as well as legal costs and other fees that are deemed “just and appropriate”.

According to the filing to the United States District Court in California “Every monster, creature, animal, and vehicle in the Infringing Game was copied from the Warcraft games. Weapons, amulets, and other objects were taken straight from the Warcraft games, without pretense. Audio cues and sound effects from the Warcraft games were reproduced for the Infringing Game.”

Telltale Games brand resurrected

Telltale Games, which was liquidated at the close of last year, has been acquired by LCG Entertainment and relaunched. While licences to IP such as The Walking Dead and Stranger Things are no longer held by Telltale, the firm plans to launch its back-catalogue of titles in due course. The new company will be based out of Malibu, and has been joined by a range of industry veterans such as Chris Kingsley (Rebellion Games), Tobias Sjögren (formerly White Wolf), and Lyle Hall (Heavy Iron Studios).

In a statement, Brian Waddle, chief revenue office of the relaunched Telltale Games, said, “There is still a huge fanbase of Telltale players and that’s one of the main reasons we decided to make this investment. It’s hard to see your favorite games disappear or not get the sequels they deserve, so we thank everyone for their patience and support. We’ve got some exciting things to share soon. We’ll try not to keep them waiting too long, but we think fans will be pleased.”