|
contents | gamenews | |||||||
| Shanda Obtains Exclusive License From Gravity To Operate Ragnarok Online In Mainland China Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited (Nasdaq: SNDA), or Shanda announced that it recently entered into a licensing agreement with Gravity Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRVY), a developer and distributor of online games in South Korea. Pursuant to the agreement, Shanda has obtained an exclusive license from Gravity to operate Ragnarok Online, a cartoon style massively multiplayer online role playing game or MMORPG. Shanda will replace the existing publisher of Ragnarok Online in mainland China following expiration of its license agreement with Gravity. Ragnarok Online is Gravity's principal online game in its games portfolio and has been commercialized in 20 markets. Its compelling storyline is based on Norse mythology and includes hand-drawn, anime-rendered characters set onto realistic 3D backgrounds. The graphic designs of the environments in the game have been inspired by mythological and historical traditions from various cultures around the world. "Ragnarok Online's healthy, cartoon style appeals to female and younger age group user segments, which are less developed and are the targeted user demographic base for Shanda's home strategy, " said Tianqiao Chen, CEO of Shanda, "With Shanda's leading distribution network and operating platform, we feel we are well positioned to offer a premium gaming experience to the Ragnarok Online gaming community in China." David Woong-Jin Yoon, CEO of Gravity, announced, "We are excited to partner with Shanda. Through our partnership with Shanda, a leading interactive entertainment media company in China, we believe we can strengthen our presence in China, which is believed to be one of the fastest growing online game markets." write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Game News :: home page |