China Launch Route Readiness Checklist

1. 01The proposed route fits in one testable sentenceCritical gate

   Name the product, storefront or publishing path, target players, operating entity, and the evidence this launch phase should produce.

   Completion evidence

   Product, legal, publishing, and engineering leads repeat the same route without substituting a different channel or approval assumption.

2. 02The route explicitly names what it does not cover

   Separate PC from mobile and console, international storefront access from mainland distribution, and market testing from a full commercial launch.

   Completion evidence

   The decision record lists excluded platforms, territories, services, and later phases in plain language.

3. 03Demand evidence comes from players of this game

   Use regional storefront visits, wishlists, playtests, creator response, and community language instead of headline market size alone.

   Completion evidence

   At least two independent signals support the route, with sample size, date range, and known bias recorded.

4. 04At least two viable route options were compared

   Compare time, control, partner dependence, cost, availability, operations, and what can be learned—not only theoretical revenue.

   Completion evidence

   The team can explain why the selected route reduces the most important current uncertainty better than the alternative.

4 checks

1. 01Current route requirements have a dated primary sourceCritical gate

   Record the platform, publishing, entity, content, and filing questions that apply to this exact route, with source owner and verification date.

   Completion evidence

   Every blocking requirement links to a current primary source or a written opinion from an appropriately qualified adviser.

2. 02Every approval or eligibility step has an accountable ownerCritical gate

   Distinguish who prepares materials, who submits, who responds to questions, who pays, and who controls the resulting account or approval.

   Completion evidence

   The responsibility matrix names one accountable party, deadline, dependency, and evidence of completion for each step.

3. 03The schedule uses ranges and dependencies, not a promised date

   Model best, expected, and stop scenarios. Keep approval uncertainty separate from build, localization, storefront, and marketing work.

   Completion evidence

   External announcements do not depend on an unverified approval date, and the team has a dated re-planning gate.

4. 04Real target users have tested the intended acquisition path

   Test discovery, account requirements, purchase or entitlement, download, update, refund, and support using the planned route—not a developer account shortcut.

   Completion evidence

   A documented end-to-end test identifies each friction point, responsible party, and unresolved blocker without storing unnecessary player data.

4 checks

1. 01The Simplified Chinese name has been tested in contextCritical gate

   Test recall, pronunciation, searchability, genre expectation, and unintended meanings with target players and relevant storefronts.

   Completion evidence

   The approved name has a decision record, native-speaker review, collision check, and owner for future changes.

2. 02The Chinese storefront explains the fantasy in seconds

   Review the capsule, title, short description, first trailer moments, tags, and first screenshots as one promise—not as separate translation tasks.

   Completion evidence

   Unprompted target players can state what they do, why it is distinctive, and who it is for after a brief page view.

3. 03The build supports every language claim on the store pageCritical gate

   Verify fonts, input, wrapping, variables, tutorials, achievements, images with text, and fallback behavior on the release candidate.

   Completion evidence

   Native-language QA completes the critical path on target hardware with no blocking mistranslation or interface defect.

4. 04Potential content issues have a review and escalation path

   Identify who flags, interprets, decides, implements, and documents sensitive content questions without allowing silent last-minute edits.

   Completion evidence

   Each open issue has a written disposition, authority, build impact, and deadline before the content freeze.

4 checks

1. 01Partner scope is expressed as deliverables and acceptance testsCritical gate

   Replace broad labels such as publishing or marketing with named assets, channels, review rounds, deadlines, accounts, and measurable completion evidence.

   Completion evidence

   Every paid deliverable has an owner, due date, acceptance criterion, dependency, and remedy for missed delivery.

2. 02Account, asset, domain, and community ownership is explicitCritical gate

   Map who creates, administers, exports, hands over, and closes each storefront, social, analytics, support, build, and payment account.

   Completion evidence

   The studio can regain operational access after staff or partner departure without relying on one person's private credentials.

3. 03Chinese player feedback reaches product decisions

   Define monitored channels, response hours, tagging, translation, escalation, and how recurring confusion becomes a build or storefront change.

   Completion evidence

   A test feedback item has travelled from a Chinese-language channel to an assigned product decision with a visible status.

4. 04Launch support covers the players' active hours

   Assign primary and backup owners for store reviews, community, customer support, moderation, crash reports, and partner escalation by time zone.

   Completion evidence

   The rota covers the launch window, notification paths are tested, and responders have approved reply and escalation guidance.

4 checks

1. 01The budget includes launch and ongoing operational cost

   Include localization, LQA, engineering, partner fees, content revisions, community, customer support, SDK maintenance, tax advice, and contingency.

   Completion evidence

   Best, expected, and downside cases show cash timing, responsible payer, revenue assumptions, and a runway impact the studio accepts.

2. 02The studio can explain how the route endsCritical gate

   Document termination, account and asset handover, player support, data handling, unsold inventory or entitlements, builds, source materials, and outstanding payments.

   Completion evidence

   A simulated partner exit produces a dated checklist with no critical account, build, community, or player obligation left ownerless.

3. 03Stop conditions are measurable and agreed in advanceCritical gate

   Set red lines for unresolved eligibility, unsafe data flows, missed partner dependencies, unacceptable content changes, cost overrun, and insufficient demand evidence.

   Completion evidence

   Each red line names who can stop the launch, what happens next, and what evidence would allow work to resume.

4. 04The route decision has a dated review record

   Capture evidence, dissent, unknowns, assumptions, selected option, non-goals, owner, next gate, and what would invalidate the decision.

   Completion evidence

   All accountable leads approve Go, Hold, or Stop, and the next review occurs before the next irreversible commitment.

4 checks