Blizzard Entertainment today announced that they have signed an agreement with NetEase.com to help distribute World of Warcraft in China. This comes after the conclusion of the company's current license deal with The9, a Chinese company that Electronic Arts has a stake in.
"We appreciate the enthusiasm that Chinese gamers have shown us over the years, and we've always worked hard, in collaboration with our partners, to ensure that these players receive the same high-quality service and gameplay experiences that we deliver in other regions," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This new agreement with NetEase will support that goal for years to come, and we look forward to collaborating with them on a smooth transition for World of Warcraft moving forward."
Blizzard will work with the Shanghai-based NetEase.com for the next three years distributing World of Warcraft in China. The companies are also collaborating on bringing Warcraft III, StarCraft II, and Battle.net to the region.
"We are excited to be working with Blizzard Entertainment now on World of Warcraft in addition to Warcraft III, StarCraft II, and Battle.net," stated William Ding, CEO of NetEase. "By combining Blizzard Entertainment's expertise in developing world-class games with NetEase's strength in online-game operation in China, I am confident that we will be able to deliver the best gaming experiences in the world to our players."
"Regarding Blizzard Entertainment's announcement earlier today, planning is well underway for the World of Warcraft transition to NetEase," said Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO. "We believe this new relationship will promote a consistent level of quality and service in mainland China for each of the games that Blizzard Entertainment is partnering with NetEase on, including Warcraft III and StarCraft II, as announced last year. In addition, we believe this new relationship positions us well for the long-term, and despite the near-term impact of the transition, we are reaffirming our calendar 2009 financial outlook."
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