Blizzard's joining up with Chinese publisher NetEase to distribute its upcoming RTS
StarCraft II in China, an early start on building a global audience for the title.
NetEase is the second-largest online game publisher in China in terms of revenue, with a 12.8 percent market share, according to
a recent study. It's best known for publishing
Fantasy Westward Journey (
Journey to the West).
VentureBeat reports Blizzard and NetEase
signed a three-year deal with a mutual renewal clause, and that the two companies will collaborate on the game's support architecture for the region.
Blizzard has had for many years a relationship with Chinese online game operator The9, which exclusively publishes
World of Warcraft and its expansions in China, including an agreement earlier this year for The9
to publish the upcoming
Wrath of the Lich King expansion there.
The9, however, is partially owned by Electronic Arts, rival to Activision Blizzard, and VentureBeat speculates industry competition might have played a role in Blizzard's decision to choose a different partner for
StarCraft II.
Blizzard first unveiled
Starcraft II, a sequel to its seminal 1998 PC real-time strategy game, at its Blizzard Invitational event in South Korea last year. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said at the time that "we’ll be able to do everything we wanted to do with the original
StarCraft and more."
The original game is a long-loved fan favorite, but failed to garner the sheer user numbers of Blizzard's other marquee franchises,
World of Warcraft and
Diablo. With the infrastructure for distribution in China's thriving online game business established prior to launch, it opens the door for Blizzard to elevate the sequel's userbase beyond that of its predecessor.
