NCSoft (éditeur de Lineage The Bloodpledge, le MMORPG le plus joué sur la planète), vient de conclure un accord de partenariat avec Sony pour la promotion et la diffusion d'Everquest sur le marché asiatique (Korea/Taiwan/Hong Kong). Après l'accord avec Gateway et Intel, Sony poursuit sa politique de diffusion massive du jeu fétiche sur l'ensemble de la planète. Le communiqué après le lien
Communiqué
NCsoft to service global online game EverQuest in Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong
- With the target launch in summer this year server setup and Korean localization efforts are underway
- Launch in Taiwan and Hong Kong at year end to early next year
[Jan. 24, 2002] NCsoft Corp. and US based Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (hereunder SOE), signed a strategic partnership today and agreed to NCsoft providing the service of 'EverQuest' in select Asian territories (Korea/Taiwan/Hong Kong).
With the goal of commercially launching the service in Korea the summer of this year, NCsoft is working on setting up servers and both Sony Online Entertainment and NCsoft are working on Korean localization. Also, NCSoft has plans to launch the service in steps starting with Taiwan at year end and in Hong Kong 1st quarter of next year.
Regarding the strategic partnership Kelly Flock, president, Sony Online Entertainment, said "Through Lineage, NCsoft has shown not only the ability to develop an excellent game but also to provide on-going operational support that has not been matched by any other game company. Our goal is to have 'EverQuest' available to gamers around the globe and NCsoft is the optimal partner to make this happen."
"I feel very delighted to provide service of a game with global recognition like 'EverQuest' in Asia. This will contribute a great deal to NCsoft as it moves forward as a global online game publisher." said Taekjin Kim, president, NCsoft.
'EverQuest', launched in 1999, with a unique environment with rich 3D graphics in a first person view has enjoyed immense popularity with more than 100 thousand concurrent users and has secured its place as a leading global online game in the US, the market in which role playing games originated, and Europe. SOE recently released the third expansion pack 'EverQuest: The Shadows of Luclin' at the end of last year, which sold more than 120,000 units on the first day of retail.