Electronic Arts joint venture with Optisp

Electronic Arts set up a joint venture with China's number three online game operator Optisp.
From Pacific Epoc:
"According to the employee, EA invested at least 500 million Yuan in the joint venture and is the majority shareholder. One Optisp executive said that the cooperation will soon be announced. However, Optisp president Yang Jing told press that no decision on the cooperation has been made yet. Optisp received the publishing rights to EA's FIFA 2005 earlier this year. "


From Pacific Epoch:
Online Game Operator Profile: Optisp
(free but registration needed)

"With millions of registered users and hundreds of thousands of concurrent players, as well as being a telecommunications network service provider approved by the Ministry of Information and invested by CITIC, Optisp is a major player in the high-tech market in China. However, Optisp is a less recognizable name than its competitors Shanda and Netease. This could be explained by the lack of high profile and well-publicized acquisitions and no rumors of an upcoming IPO. "

"Optisp was founded as a telecommunications company in Guangzhou in 1999. While the company is a licensed internet service provider and provides complete network services, the bulk of its revenues and the engine driving the growth of the company is its operation of online games. Optic Entertainment was set up in March 2003 in Shanghai and marked Optisp’s formal entry into the online gaming market. On March 29, 2003 Optisp gained exclusive rights to operate the Korean developed game Legend of Mir 3. This game has become immensely popular in China, reaching the number three spot among online games. Subsequently, Optisp has begun to shift away from its Internet service business to concentrate on online game development and operation."

"Recent Developments and Plans for the Future

Optisp is banking its business on the burgeoning online game industry. The company has plans to launch three new editions of Legend of Mir3 in the coming months. In addition to the commencement of internal testing of Mir3 G in July, Legend of Mir3 Q, and Legend of Mir3 D are also in the words. The G edition will target second and third tier cities. The Q edition is a Q-style version and is scheduled to begin testing before September. The D edition uses a 3D engine and will be available next year. Legend of Mir series developer Wemade will work together with OPTISP to develop all three local editions. Optisp is planning to work with the world's biggest gaming software company, Electronic Arts, in the coming year. At a conference for Mir 3 prepaid card distributors, Optisp general manager Yang Jing revealed that Optisp will choose to operate Sims Online, UO2, or Earth Beyond." Read More