SHANGHAI, Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. and NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) jointly
announced the extension of their collaboration in mainland
China to January 2020. The renewed operation agreement
includes Blizzard's World of Warcraft®,
StarCraft® II, Diablo® III,
Hearthstone®, Heroes of the Storm®, and
Overwatch®, as well as new content for these games
during the agreement period.
The relationship between Blizzard and NetEase is now entering
its ninth year. The two companies began working together in 2008
with a license agreement to bring Blizzard's StarCraft II and
Battle.net® platform into China.
Since then the two companies have brought a series of epic games
to Chinese players, from StarCraft II to Blizzard's popular FPS
game Overwatch, and most recently the sixth expansion for World of
Warcraft, Legion™. Over the years, Blizzard and NetEase
have worked hard toward the goal of launching Blizzard games in
China simultaneously with
Blizzard's launches in other regions--a goal the companies have been proud to
achieve in recent years, with immensely positive feedback from
Chinese players.
The renewal of the operation agreement announced today reflects
the achievements of the past eight years and further solidifies the
existing collaboration between the two companies.
"NetEase has been a great partner for many years now, and we've
always appreciated their hard work and dedication to providing the
best experiences for our players in China," said Mike
Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We
look forward to continuing to work closely with them on delivering
even more great content in the years ahead."
"Our partnership with Blizzard has been great these past eight
years, and we are very pleased to continue our close
collaboration," said William Ding,
CEO of NetEase. "We both pride ourselves with a commitment to high
quality and value for our players, and that has served as a
foundation for our strong alliance and positions us well for
continued success."
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and
the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision
Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of
entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's
most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track
record includes twenty-one #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of
the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records
and reports from key distribution partners.
About NetEase, Inc.
NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) is a leading internet technology
company in China. Dedicated to
providing online services centered around content, community,
communication and commerce, NetEase develops and operates some of
China's most popular online PC and
mobile games, advertising services, email services and e-commerce
platforms. In partnership with Blizzard Entertainment and other
global game developers, NetEase also licenses some of the most
popular international online games.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Blizzard
Entertainment's and NetEase's expectations, plans,
intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking
statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and
uncertainties. These statements are made under the "safe harbor"
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Blizzard
Entertainment and NetEase generally use words such
as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to
be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends,"
"anticipates," "estimate," "future," "plan," "positioned,"
"potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject
to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard
Entertainment's and/or NetEase's actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in the
forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but
are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard
Entertainment's titles generally, the popularity of such
titles among Chinese players and the effect of future
expansion sets on the titles, shifts in consumer spending trends,
the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal
and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, the risk that
Shanghai EaseNet will not be able to operate Overwatch, Diablo
III, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft II, World of Warcraft,
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft or other games licensed by it
from Blizzard Entertainment for a period of time or
permanently due to possible governmental actions, the risk that
Shanghai EaseNet or NetEase will be subject to penalties
or operating restrictions imposed by governmental authorities in
the PRC resulting from the operations of their online games,
including suspension of their Internet service or other penalties,
the risk that changes in Chinese government regulation of the
online game market may limit future growth of Blizzard's
or NetEase's revenue in China or cause revenue
to decline; industry competition and competition from other forms
of entertainment, rapid changes in technology, industry standards
and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres
such as real-time strategy, action–role-playing and massively
multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights,
litigation against Blizzard
Entertainment and/or NetEase, maintenance of
relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors,
vendors and third-party developers, including the ability to
attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers who can
create high quality "hit" titles, counterparty risks relating to
customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and
international economic, financial and political conditions and
policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the
identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and
the other factors identified in the risk factors section
of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on
Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and
of NetEase's most recent annual report on Form 20-F and
other filings and submissions with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this release
are based upon information available to Blizzard
Entertainment, Activision Blizzard and NetEase, as
the case may be, as of the date of this release, and none of such
parties assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when
made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard
Entertainment, Activision
Blizzard or NetEase and are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond their
respective control and may cause actual results to differ
materially from current expectations.
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SOURCE NetEase, Inc.