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Nbr post: 214
Register: 11/20/11
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Posted: 2/9/12, 12:13 PM
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Rift game to open in China, Korea
In late December, Trion opened its doors in Russia through Russian Company GFI. This is far from the end of Rift's global ambitions, however, as Trion CEO Lars Buttler announced in a Press Release this morning that Trion will be partnering with Chinese internet company Shanda to open Rift to the Chinese market.
“Our collaboration with Shanda is a huge step for Western premium games in China and we are proud Trion is at the forefront, setting the standard once again,” Lars Buttler, Founder and CEO, Trion Worlds, said. “The appetite for great, new original game experiences like Rift, that disrupt the existing paradigm of traditional gaming, is universal. Shanda, with proven track record of localizing and delivering content, is the best publisher for Trion to offer gamers in Mainland China an authentic Rift experience.”
Thus far, Trion states its US and EU revenue is approximately $100 million. Trion states that, "Rift’s swift success proves gamers are embracing original, high-quality new properties and rich, dynamic game experiences built from the ground up for the new generation of online gaming."
Buttler says this deal with Shanda will be the largest deal ever to license a game in China. Buttler feels that the rate of iteration (or how quickly Trion produces new content) will help Rift succeed in a market where many Western games fail.
Korea opening also announced
Trion also announced today that it is working on a deal with publisher CJ E&M Games to open the game in Korea. Quoting Trion's press announcement:
Trion Worlds, a global developer and publisher of premium online games, announced today it has signed a multi-year agreement with Korean developer and publisher CJ E&M Games, the online developer and publisher in CJ Group, to exclusively publish a localized version of the recently released MMORPG RIFT™ in Korean.
“We take the Korean market very seriously as it is driven by innovation and growth in the online gaming space,” said Lars Buttler, CEO, Trion Worlds. “By working with CJ E&M we are able to bring deep, immersive online gaming experiences to the east, and continue delivering quality games to gamers worldwide.”
“We are very happy to introduce the premium MMO RIFT to Korean gamers, as it delivers a truly dynamic experience which I am personally enjoying very much, and I am confident Korean gamers will also enjoy this great title,” said Whon Namkoong, Head of Games Business, CJ E&M.
The agreement comes hot on the heels of NPD’s March Report which lists RIFT as the month’s top-selling PC game at retail in North America. While digital sales have significantly outpaced retail sales, the report details a strong retail performance for Trion’s first premium online title.
We will keep you posted as more details surface.
Update (2/9/2011): Corrected attributions, added Press Release info
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