The9 Reportedly Rifts with Blizzard
NCTY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The delay of the release of Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion pack of World of Warcraft (WoW), is said to result from the deferment of contract renewal between Blizzard Entertainment and The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY).
A top The9 executive denies the story, saying that the licensed operator of WoW in Mainland China is busy preparing for the release, and contacting with the producer of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).
Analysts point out that as WoW has become a spent bullet, and is unlikely to continue its brilliance as before, Blizzard will not hand over the expansion pack to other Chinese operators, which are unwilling to offer a higher purchase price.
Meanwhile, The9 will not give up the renewed contract, because it will inflict a heavy loss on the stock market without the game's support. As Blizzard wants to lift up the purchase price of the expansion pack, the Chinese operator is trying to force its partner to renew their contract as soon as possible through postponing the release.
Chen Xiaowei, president of The9, talked about the contract renewal earlier, saying that since the existing contract will not expire until June 2009, the company is not in a hurry to sign a new contract with Blizzard.
Source: www.163.com (February 18, 2009)
For full details on The9 Limited (NCTY) NCTY. The9 Limited (NCTY) has Short Term PowerRatings at TradingMarkets. Details on The9 Limited (NCTY) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.
- The9 likely to acquire Firerain.cn for USD100 mln - 02/04/10
- The9 launches second 200 mln Q-coin game promotion for WoF - 02/04/10
- The9 Said to Buy a Game Developer for Revival - 02/03/10
- The9 Ltd. (ADR) (NCTY) Corporate Event Announcement Notice - 02/02/10
- The9 Takes Helm of Red 5 - 02/01/10
- More News >>
