SHANGHAI, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Blizzard
Entertainment and NetEase, Inc. today announced that World of
Warcraft®: Mists of Pandaria™, the fourth
expansion set for the world's most popular subscription-based
massively multiplayer online role-playing game, will launch in
mainland China on October 2, 2012. For the first time ever, Chinese
players will be able to join the rest of the global World of
Warcraft community within the same one-week global launch
period.
Also a first for the game's community in China, Chinese players will have the
opportunity to own the premiere Chinese "Ultimate Edition" of
Mists of Pandaria, available at a price of 486 CNY. This exclusive set includes an appealing
package of bonus items:
- World of Warcraft in-game mount: Take to the skies of
Azeroth astride the mystical Imperial Quilen flying mount;
- World of Warcraft in-game pet: Journey across Pandaria
with the Lucky Quilen Cub at your side;
- World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria PC-game DVD;
- The Art of Mists of Pandaria book: Explore this 208-page
hardcover tome featuring never-before-seen artwork from the
expansion, from early concepts to final 3D renderings;
- Chen Stormstout mouse pad: Equip your desk with this
special-edition mouse pad featuring the legendary pandaren
brewmaster;
- StarCraft® II Battle.net®
portraits: Bring the Horde and Alliance rivalry to the far reaches
of the Koprulu sector with exclusive Infested Orc and Night Elf
Templar Battle.net portraits;
- Behind-the-Scenes DVD: Learn about the creation of
Pandaria with this two-disc set featuring over an hour of
commentary, insider interviews, and developer roundtables;
and,
- Soundtrack CD: Experience 20 orchestral pieces from Mists of
Pandaria.
The "Ultimate Edition" is now available for preorder through the
Blizzard Entertainment online store (http://bmall.163.com/) and
other popular sites, including 360buy.com, amazon.cn, and
dangdang.com. Preordered copies of the Mists of Pandaria "Ultimate
Edition" will begin shipping on September
28; players will be able to access the content when the
expansion goes live on October 2.
"We're excited to bring Mists of Pandaria to China on October
2, making this expansion a truly global launch," said
Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of
Blizzard Entertainment. "Mists of Pandaria contains the
biggest variety of new content we've ever created for a World of
Warcraft expansion, with features that will appeal to new
players, veterans, and everyone in between. We hope players enjoy
exploring everything Pandaria has to offer."
"Releasing a new World of Warcraft expansion within the
same global launch week represents a historic moment for Chinese
players," said William Ding, CEO of
NetEase, Inc. "We are proud to do our part in bringing Mists of
Pandaria to gamers around the world. With abundant Chinese and
other Eastern culture elements in the game, I am confident it will
be widely embraced by the passionate Chinese player community."
Mists of Pandaria offers a wide variety of content for
new and returning World of Warcraft players. Features
include a new playable race (the pandaren) with its own starting
zone and quests, a new character class (the monk), and expansive
new continent for players to explore as they adventure to the new
level cap of 90. The expansion also includes a host of new gameplay
elements designed to give players even more ways to enjoy the game,
including scenarios -- a new way to play cooperatively with
friends; challenge modes, which offer high-prestige rewards for
mastering Mists of Pandaria's 5-player dungeons; and an
all-new pet battle system.
To learn more about World of Warcraft and Mists of
Pandaria, please visit the official website at
http://www.warcraftchina.com.
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 fourteen #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, Inc.
NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) 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.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Blizzard
Entertainment's and NetEase's expectations, plans, intentions or
strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that
are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase generally use words such as
"outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be,"
"plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates,"
"estimate," "future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project,"
"remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and
similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's and/or NetEase's actual
future results to differ materially from those expressed in the
forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but
are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard Entertainment's titles
generally, the popularity of World of Warcraft among Chinese
players and the effect of future expansion sets on the game, shifts
in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current
macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the
interactive game market, the risk that Shanghai EaseNet will not be
able to operate StarCraft II, World of Warcraft or other games
licensed by it from Blizzard Entertainment for a period of time or
permanently due to possible governmental actions, the risk that
Shanghai EaseNet or NetEase will be subject to penalties or
operating restrictions imposed by governmental authorities in the
PRC resulting from the operations of their online games, including
suspension of their Internet service or other penalties, the risk
that changes in Chinese government regulation of the online game
market may limit future growth of Blizzard's or NetEase's revenue
in China or cause revenue to
decline; industry competition and competition from other forms of
entertainment, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and
consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as
real-time strategy, action–role-playing and massively multiplayer
online games, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against
Blizzard Entertainment and/or NetEase, maintenance of relationships
with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and
third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain
and develop key personnel and developers who can create high
quality "hit" titles, counterparty risks relating to customers,
licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international
economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign
exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable
future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified
in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard's most recent
annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q and of NetEase's most recent annual report on Form 20-F
and other filings and submissions with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this release
are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment,
Activision Blizzard and NetEase, as the case may be, as of the date
of this release, and none of such parties assumes any obligation to
update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be
incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future
performance of Blizzard Entertainment, Activision Blizzard or
NetEase and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors,
some of which are beyond their respective control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
For further information contact:
|
|
Lisa Jensen
Vice President, Global
Public Relations
Blizzard
Entertainment
+1.949.854.6200
dir
+1.949.854.7900
fax
ljensen@blizzard.com
|
Roger Sun
PR Director
Blizzard
China
+86-21-3133
0700
rsun@blizzard.com
|
Cassia Curran
NetEase, Inc.
cassia@corp.netease.com
Tel: (+86) 571-8985-2076
|
Brandi Piacente
NetEase Investor Relations
+1-212-481-2050
brandi@corp.netease.com
|
SOURCE NetEase.com, Inc.