Blizzard: NetEase’s WoW license renewed in Mainland China | La licencia WoW de NetEase renovada en China Continental

[ES]: Tras un nuevo acuerdo entre Blizzard y NetEase, los jugadores afiocionados de World of Warcraft continuarán disfrutando de esta exitosa franquicia. Otros juegos como Warcraft III y  el popular StarCraft II también forman parte de los juegos que millones de jugadores seguirán jugando por tres años más desde el fin del acuerdo actual. Ambas empresas están trabajando en la siguiente extensión conocida como Mists of Pandaria que presentará varios elementos basados en la cultura oriental.

[EN]:

Blizzard Entertainment(R) and NetEase Renew License for World of Warcraft(R) in Mainland China

 New agreement sets the stage for collaboration between the companies on the game’s upcoming fourth expansion set, Mists of Pandaria^™

SHANGHAI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Blizzard Entertainment (NASDAQ: ATVI) and NetEase.com (NASDAQ: NTES) today announced that they will continue their existing cooperation on Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft^® in mainlandChina. The new license will continue for an additional three years following the expiration of the current license agreement.

The companies have been working together to bring World of Warcraft to Chinese gamers since 2009. In that time, they have successfully launched Wrath of the Lich King^® and Cataclysm^®, the game’s second and third expansion sets, in mainland China, and earned the enthusiastic support of gamers across the country. In addition to World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase’s existing partnership covers Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft^® III and StarCraft^® II, as well as the Battle.net^® gaming platform.

The extended license agreement further reinforces the existing partnership between Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase and lays the groundwork to bring Mists of Pandaria^™, the upcoming fourth expansion to World of Warcraft, to mainland China. First unveiled at BlizzCon^® 2011, Mists of Pandaria features a variety of elements influenced by Eastern culture and introduces a new playable race (the pandaren), a new class (the monk), an expansive new continent to explore, an all-new pet battle system, scenarios, challenge modes, and more.

“We’re grateful for the tremendous enthusiasm Chinese gamers have shown for World of Warcraft over the years, and we’re pleased to be renewing our agreement for the game in China,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We look forward to working with NetEase to deliver all of the new features and content of Mists of Pandaria to Chinese players as soon as possible.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Blizzard Entertainment after three years of highly effective cooperation on World of Warcraft,” stated William Ding, CEO of NetEase. “Both companies have complementary business strategies and share a similar corporate culture. I am confident that with Blizzard Entertainment’s expertise in developing world-class games and NetEase’s experience in local game operation, we will be able to provide the best gaming experiences for players in China.”

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 thirteen #1-selling 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.

About NetEase.com Inc.

NetEase.com, Inc. is a leading China-based Internet technology company that pioneered the development of applications, services and other technologies for the Internet in China. NetEase’s online communities and personalized premium services have established a large and stable user base for the NetEase websites, which are operated by its affiliates. In particular, NetEase provides online game services to Internet users through its in-house development or licensing of massively multi-player online role-playing games, including Fantasy Westward Journey, Westward Journey Online II and III, Tianxia III, Heroes of Tang Dynasty, Datang and Ghost, as well as the licensed Blizzard Entertainment games World of Warcraft and StarCraft II.