Joystiq

CryEngine 3-powered Monster Hunter Online headed to China

JC Fletcher — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:45:00 EST

Capcom and Tencent are working on a new Monster Hunter for the Chinese market - which means that it's a free-to-play MMO for PC. The new Monster Hunter Online also diverges from the rest of the series in that it uses CryEngine 3 instead of one of Capcom's own engines. You can ... really tell.

Monster Hunter Online brings new monsters, weapons, and locations to the series, with the familiar quest-oriented gameplay and giant boss battles. Tencent will begin testing the game in June. And just like that, Capcom is saved!

[Thanks, Szczesny and Mike!]

CryEngine 3-powered Monster Hunter Online headed to China originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Call of Duty now Online in China, monetization not ready yet

Mike Schramm — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:00:00 EST

An alpha version of Call of Duty Online - the China-exclusive, free-to-play game based on the Activision shooter - is now live, Kotaku reports. Monetization systems for the game (i.e. those sweet, sweet microtransactions) are unavailable in its current form; however, Call of Duty Online is playable in the region.

Call of Duty Online was announced by Activision last year and pairs the western publisher with China investment holdings firm Tencent, a company that offers social networks, e-commerce, multiplayer online games and more within the country.

China has a rich history with freemium video game experiences, including Tencent's own hugely successful Cross Fire. But if a brand as large as Call of Duty strikes gold in China, we may see other popular franchises form-fitted to work in the region's microtransaction-focused industry.

Call of Duty now Online in China, monetization not ready yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Take-Two, Tencent collaboration 'NBA 2K Online' launches Oct. 24 in China

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST

NBA 2K Online, the free-to-play NBA simulation created for China by 2K in conjunction with Tencent Games, will launch on October 24. The game went into beta this past June and is the first major release in China for Take-Two, which announced plans for this initiative back in 2009.

The release date of an online sportsball game in China isn't the interesting part here, so much as the context. Tencent Holdings Limited has become quite the player over the past three years since Take-Two's plans were first announced. There's Tencent's relationship with Activision over Call of Duty Online, its acquisition of Riot Games and, most interestingly, its minority interest in Unreal Engine's lord and master Epic Games.

Take-Two, Tencent collaboration 'NBA 2K Online' launches Oct. 24 in China originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Activision stock may rise 50 percent with Pandaria, CoD Online

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST

Activision Blizzard may see its share price increase as much as 50 percent as it prepares to launch the Mists of Pandaria expansion for World of Warcraft and Call of Duty Online in China, financial newsweekly Barron's reports. Activision Blizzard is currently trading at $11.25, after reporting Q2 earnings above expectations but below the previous year, bringing in $1.08 billion.

Investors expect shares could reach a high of $17 due to Mists of Pandaria's launch in September and Activision's partnership with Chinese Internet provider Tencent Holdings to launch the free-to-play game Call of Duty Online, potentially in "mid-2013," Barron's says. The Chinese gaming market generated $7 billion and included 160 million gamers in 2011, and is expected to grow by 20 percent this year to cash in more than $9 million in 2014.

Activision Blizzard's shares have fallen 10 percent this year, while the broad market has gained 11 percent. Parent company Vivendi was looking to sell its 61 percent stake in Activision Blizzard earlier this year, but it appears those efforts have shifted focus.

Report: Activision stock may rise 50 percent with Pandaria, CoD Online originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

IGDA executive director resigns, joins China's Tencent

Mike Schramm — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:30:00 EST

Gordon Bellamy, the (now former) executive director of the International Game Developers Association, has stepped away from the post to join Tencent, the popular Chinese online social service. Bellamy will remain on the IGDA's board (where he was before he took the executive director post), but will step away from day-to-day operations. Dustin Clingman, the current board chair, will take over in the interim until a new director can be found.

Tencent runs a number of popular online social and gaming services in China (including the world's largest online community, QQ), and has recently been putting together a collection of ties to major Western gaming companies. Bellamy's Twitter account now lists him as the Director of Business Development and Industry Relations at Tencent. According to his recent tweets, he's "excited for Tencent" and is "looking forward to working with the world."

IGDA executive director resigns, joins China's Tencent originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

See Call of Duty Online in action (spoilers: it looks like Call of Duty!)

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST

You'll be shocked to hear this, we know, but Activision and Tencent's just announced, free-to-play Call of Duty game, Call of Duty Online, looks an awful lot like a Call of Duty multiplayer game. Take a peek for yourself above.

Continue reading See Call of Duty Online in action (spoilers: it looks like Call of Duty!)

See Call of Duty Online in action (spoilers: it looks like Call of Duty!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CoD goes to China with 'Call of Duty Online,' from Activision and Tencent

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:30:00 EST

Activision, partnering with Chinese game company Tencent, is launching a free-to-play Call of Duty shooter in the Chinese market, the companies revealed this morning. "Call of Duty Online" is the name, but beyond that little is known - the image above is from the game's teaser site, and the site contains no other information (unless you're into reading legalese, that is).

That said, after two years of hearing about such a game, we've got some ideas of what it might be. For instance, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said back in 2010 that Activision had "dedicated teams in these new markets creating content for the audiences that, to date, have only been satisfied by Blizzard games." Kotick said that the new CoD game would leverage CoD's "fantasy of being a soldier," which he said is a shared global sentiment, regardless of cultural differences. Today's news also makes those Activision URL registrations a lot more logical, eh?

Tencent apparently has the "exclusive license" to run Call of Duty Online in China, and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is "very excited" about the game's prospects.

Update: A press release about the game says it "will capitalize on the rich multiplayer experience that the Call of Duty franchise is known for," and that it will also implement, "a new gaming model designed specifically for the Chinese market." Said model sounds like the game's free-to-play microtransaction system. "Using an in-game store, players can enhance their weapons, gear, and perks built specifically for the Chinese market," the release reads. Apparently the game is more than just online play, with "an original story told through a series of Special Operations missions based on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare universe."

Continue reading CoD goes to China with 'Call of Duty Online,' from Activision and Tencent

CoD goes to China with 'Call of Duty Online,' from Activision and Tencent originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Epic's Mike Capps on opening the door to Tencent and its 'unparalleled expertise' in China

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST

Epic Games announced yesterday it sold a minority interest in the company to China's Tencent Holdings. It was the first time in 21 years the Unreal Engine creator and Gears of War and Infinity Blade developer accepted outside investment.

"We've always taken pride in being an independent developer of fun games and cutting-edge technology," Epic Games president Mike Capps said in prepared statements about why the company took a major investment deal after such a long time. "We want to assure our players and licensees that this transaction only brings more to the table in terms of what we can offer them."

"Epic has worked with Tencent for years through our Unreal Engine licensing relationship," Capps added. "They have fantastic inroads into attractive markets and platforms, and Epic has been carefully weighing its options for the next generation of games for quite some time. We can learn a lot from Tencent, and strategically aligning with them was an easy decision."

Capps explained that Epic will maintain all intellectual property rights and maintain the Unreal Engine licensing business. He wouldn't comment if this is just the prelude to a full buyout. Capps makes no secret of Tencent being a long-term partner, but notes Epic enjoys its independence.

Continue reading Epic's Mike Capps on opening the door to Tencent and its 'unparalleled expertise' in China

Epic's Mike Capps on opening the door to Tencent and its 'unparalleled expertise' in China originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Epic Games sells minority interest to Tencent

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:37:00 EST

Epic Games, creator of the ubiquitous Unreal Engine and major franchises like Gears of War and Infinity Blade, announced this morning a minority stake sale to China's Tencent Holdings.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but you can be assured it was for a ton of cash (technically speaking). Epic will continue to "operate independently and seek to further expand its game franchises across multiple platforms."

Tencent has slowly made strategic purchases in the States, its highest profile acquisition being Riot Games last year, developers of cash-raining League of Legends.

The relationship between Epic and a Chinese company will also make it easier for the former to grow in China, a region in which it has been very interested in expanding - with some politically laughable results.

Continue reading Epic Games sells minority interest to Tencent

Epic Games sells minority interest to Tencent originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Razer, Intel, Tencent to bring Switchblade gaming device to China

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

Just in case you were worried, it looks like Razer's Switchblade ultra-portable PC "concept" is totally, really real -- in China at the very least. Razer, Intel and Tencent have announced "a strategic partnership aimed at expanding the entertainment possibilities for Chinese gamers" based around the Switchblade. Several of Tencent's titles, including League of Legends and Dungeon Fighter Online, will be optimized for the Switchblade and its magical keyboard.

There's still no release date for device, with the three companies only promising that there will be updates in "the months to come." That's probably for the best, as we're fairly certain that the ability to play League of Legends at any time will bring civilization to a screeching halt.

Continue reading Razer, Intel, Tencent to bring Switchblade gaming device to China

Razer, Intel, Tencent to bring Switchblade gaming device to China originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Riot Games' Marc Merrill on the Tencent acquisition and the future of League of Legends

Mike Schramm — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST

Last year's "focus," if you can assign such a thing to the Game Developers' Conference, was probably Zynga and its Facebook games, but for 2011, there was one company that kept getting brought up in the hallways and various panels in San Francisco: Riot Games. Not only did the makers of free-to-play MOBA League of Legends clean up at last year's GDC Online awards, but last week, the Riot booth was constantly surrounded with developers, all wanting to get in on one of the quickest-growing companies around.

Riot President Marc Merrill kindly sat down to chat with Joystiq about the game and the company, and we talked about the recent acqusition by Chinese giant Tencent, why Riot is growing so fast, and what's next for the game affectionately dubbed LoL. And yes, LoL players, we asked about Magma Chamber and the Mac client.

Continue reading Riot Games' Marc Merrill on the Tencent acquisition and the future of League of Legends

Riot Games' Marc Merrill on the Tencent acquisition and the future of League of Legends originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Riot Games confirms Tencent majority buyout

Mike Schramm — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:15:00 EST

Riot Games has confirmed that a majority of the company was bought by China's Tencent, putting its stamp of approval on rumors of the deal last week. Brandon Beck, Riot's CEO, is quoted as saying that "Tencent's investment will provide our talented team of designers, developers and community staff with additional resources to focus on innovating around League of Legends and launching new projects that push the boundaries in the gaming space."

Financial Times has a nice analysis of the deal -- it sounds like this agreement will help both sides, as Riot will not only get that nice cash infusion of a rumored $350 million, but also invaluable assistance and insight for what it was already hoping would be a nice overseas adoption. And Tencent, of course, gets to lay claim to League of Legends and any other titles that Riot developers, along with the huge microtransaction-based revenues that go along with them, both here and eventually overseas.

Plus, this is a sign of the growing trend of Eastern publishers picking up Western companies to develop content for the large audiences over there. Chinese publisher The9 recently bought another Blizzard spinoff, Red 5 Studios, for $15 million, and Japanese firm DeNA picked up iOS developer ngmoco for $400 million as well. Western audiences are big, but Eastern audiences are bigger and, as a result, there's high demand for well-developed games in that market.

Riot Games confirms Tencent majority buyout originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reports: Chinese online giant Tencent acquires majority stake in Riot Games

Mike Schramm — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:30:00 EST

China's biggest Internet company, Tencent, has reportedly acquired a majority stake in Los Angeles-based Riot Games for the sum of $350 million. Tencent has already acquired a number of other Western properties, including Crytek's free-to-play FPS and Take-Two's NBA 2K Online, and also runs the QQ messaging service, boasting over 600 million-plus users. Riot makes League of Legends, the free-to-play DotA-style multiplayer title, and has said it will stay in Los Angeles and continue to "aggressively" hire through 2011.

This deal likely won't affect the day-to-day of League of Legends (or any other titles Riot has under development), but given Tencent's contacts and assets in China, Riot will likely get a lot of help in spreading its games to players overseas. The transaction is still subject to regulatory measures, but is expected to close within 30 days.

Reports: Chinese online giant Tencent acquires majority stake in Riot Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Warface secures Chinese publishing rights, deploys gameplay footage

David Hinkle — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:30:00 EST

Late last month, Crytek revealed its free-to-play FPS for Asian markets, Warface. Today, the developer announced that Tencent has purchased the publishing rights for China and plans to rename the title for that territory. The new Chinese title has yet to be presented.

The game runs on CryEngine 3 and offers several different classes, gameplay modes, as well as co-op missions. Hit the jump for some gameplay footage.

Gallery: Warface

Continue reading Warface secures Chinese publishing rights, deploys gameplay footage

Warface secures Chinese publishing rights, deploys gameplay footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Take-Two announces push into Asia with NBA 2K Online

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST

Did you know that at 1.3 billion people, the mainland Chinese population encompasses around 1/6th of the world's population? It's true! This might help to explain why Take-Two Interactive announced today not just the launch of NBA 2K Online -- an online basketball game for the Asian market -- but also the creation of Take-Two Asia, a new satellite office for the BioShock publisher.

The game is being co-developed by Take-Two and Chinese game company Tencent Holdings Limited for distribution in China and "other key markets" (notably Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia). Information on the game's pricing structure or what it looks like or, well, anything really is rather scant, though we do know that it will include "all of the NBA teams, as well as current and retired NBA players." Will the game be free-to-play with microtransactions? Will it ever be offered on this side of the Pacific? Will we be able to showboat our jersey in a raucous celebration of happiness a la Kobe Bryant when we dunk on fools? We just don't know.

Take-Two announces push into Asia with NBA 2K Online originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments