BEIJING, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Sohu.com Inc.
(Nasdaq: SOHU), China's leading
online media, search, gaming, community and mobile service group,
today announced that its online game subsidiary, Changyou.com
Limited ("Changyou") (NASDAQ: CYOU) will begin open-beta testing of
Duke of Mount Deer, an
inhouse-developed 3D fantasy martial-arts massively multi-player
online role-playing game ("MMORPG") on July
22, 2011.
Four years in the making, Duke of
Mount Deer is Changyou's second inhouse-developed MMORPG. Using
two different game engines and the latest 3D rendering technology,
the game displays beautifully rendered, cinematic quality graphics,
and recreates the imaginary martial arts world from the final book
of Louis Cha's popular novel series.
The game also features Changyou's self-developed seamless server
connectivity technology that, for the first time in a MMORPG,
allows gamers to move beyond the server where they originally
registered and engage in competitions and social activities with
users that are logged in on separate servers. This server
technology greatly improves the social reach of individual players
and creates one all-encompassing game universe. In addition,
the game introduces a novel "server vs. server" battle mode that
brings communities of users on different servers together to fight
against competing teams on other servers for land, resources and
dominance over the whole game universe.
Mr. Tao Wang, Changyou's chief executive officer, commented, "As
our second inhouse-developed MMORPG, we look to further our
leadership position in the industry with the launch of
Duke of Mount Deer on
July 22. The game incorporates
many innovative game features that have been requested by gamers in
China and overseas, and is the
combined effort of our top engineers, graphic artists and
professional game testers. Incorporating new technology, cutting
edge graphic capabilities, and both eastern and western design
themes, we have created a new and exciting universe for gamers to
experience."
About Changyou
Changyou.com Limited is a leading developer and operator of
online games in China. It began
operations as a business unit within Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU)
in 2003 predominantly focused on the development and operation of
massively multi-player online role-playing games ("MMORPG").
Changyou was carved out as a separate, stand-alone company in
December 2007, and completed an
initial public offering on April 7,
2009. Changyou currently operates eight online games,
including the in-house developed Tian Long
Ba Bu, one of the most popular online games in China, and the licensed Blade Online, Blade
Hero 2, Da Hua Shui Hu, Zhong Hua Ying
Xiong, Immortal Faith, San Jie Qi Yuan and Legend of Ancient
World. Changyou has a diversified pipeline of games with various
graphic styles and themes, including the in-house developed
Duke of Mount Deer, which received an
award as one of China's most
anticipated online games. Changyou's advanced technology platform
includes advanced 2.5D and 3D graphics engines, a uniform game
development platform, effective anti-cheating and anti-hacking
technologies, proprietary cross-networking technology and advanced
data protection technology. For more information about Changyou,
please visit http://www.changyou.com/en/.
About Sohu.com
Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU) is China's premier online brand and indispensable
to the daily life of millions of Chinese, providing a network of
web properties and community based/web 2.0 products which offer the
vast Sohu user community a broad array of choices regarding
information, entertainment and communication. Sohu has built one of
the most comprehensive matrices of Chinese language web properties
and proprietary search engines, consisting of the mass portal and
leading online media destination www.sohu.com; interactive search
engine www.sogou.com; #1 games information portal www.17173.com;
the top real estate website www.focus.cn; #1 online alumni club
www.chinaren.com; wireless value-added services provider
www.goodfeel.com.cn; leading online mapping service provider
www.go2map.com; and developer and operator of online games
www.changyou.com/en/.
Sohu corporate services consist of online brand advertising on
its matrix of websites as well as paid listing and bid listing on
its in-house developed search directory and engine. Sohu also
offers wireless value-added services such as news, information,
music, ringtone and picture content sent over mobile phones. Sohu's
online game subsidiary, Changyou.com (NASDAQ: CYOU), currently
operates eight online games in China, including the in-house developed
Tian Long Ba Bu, one of the most
popular online games in China, and
the licensed Blade Online, Blade Hero 2, Da Hua Shui Hu,
Zhong Hua Ying Xiong, Immortal
Faith, San Jie Qi Yuan and Legend of Ancient World. Sohu.com,
established by Dr. Charles Zhang,
one of China's internet pioneers,
is in its fifteenth year of operation.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements.
Statements that are not historical facts, including statements
about Sohu's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking
statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates
and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance
on them. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the current global
financial and credit markets crisis and its potential impact on the
Chinese economy, the uncertain regulatory landscape in the People's Republic of China, fluctuations
in Sohu's quarterly operating results, and Sohu's reliance on
online advertising sales, online games and wireless services (most
wireless revenues are collected from a few mobile network
operators) for its revenues. Further information regarding these
and other risks is included in Sohu's annual report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2010,
and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For investor and media
inquiries, please contact:
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In China:
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Mr. James Deng
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Sohu.com Inc.
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Tel: +86 (10)
6272-6596
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E-mail:
ir@contact.sohu.com
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Ms. Jenny Wu
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Christensen
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Tel: +86 (10)
5826-4939
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E-mail:
jwu@ChristensenIR.com
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In the United
States:
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Mr. Jeff Bloker
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Christensen
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Tel: +1 (480)
614-3003
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E-mail:
jbloker@ChristensenIR.com
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SOURCE Sohu.com Inc.