TURBINE EXPANDS CHINESE DISTRIBUTION FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WESTWOOD, MA -- OCTOBER 3, 2006 -- Turbine, Inc. and CDC Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of China.com Inc, a business unit of CDC Corporation (NASDAQ: CHINA), today announced a distribution agreement for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, Turbine's highly-anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Under the terms of the deal, Turbine will work closely with CDC Games to localize The Lord of the Rings Online for the fast-growing Chinese market.
"CDC Games is a proven leader in the online gaming market and we are very excited about working with them to bring The Lord of the Rings Online into China," said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "CDC Game's experience in operating successful titles coupled with the massive growth of the Chinese market represent an outstanding opportunity for this title."
"The Lord of the Rings is a phenomenal franchise, and the literary work has spawned a tremendous following the world over, achieving over US$2.9 billion in global box office receipts for the 3 films based on the books", said Fred Wang, Chairman of CDC Games and independent director of CDC Corporation. "Many games have been inspired by the characters and stories set out by Tolkien, and we expect a tremendous response from loyal fans and gamers in China."
"We are committed to delivering the best online gaming experience to our players," said Dr. Xiaowei Chen, CEO of CDC Games. "With that commitment in mind, we are very excited to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to China, not only because it represents a major global franchise, but also because Turbine has developed a truly beautiful and engaging game, in which players will feel like they are part of Tolkien's world. Our partnership with Turbine underscores the tremendous success, attention to detail, and transparency that our operations bring to the best game developers in the world as they seek to enter the massive China market."
The Lord of the Rings Online is the first and only massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Players will fight the evil minions of the Dark Lord Sauron, and advance their heroes by adventuring through the vast reaches of Middle-earth, the most famous fantasy world of all time.
About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is a premier developer, publisher and operator of online games and entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts. The company is one of the largest privately-held online games company in North America. Turbine's catalogue includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron's Call®, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, and The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. For more information on Turbine and its services, please visit www.turbine.com.
About Tolkien Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.
About CDC Corporation
The CDC family of companies includes CDC Software focused on enterprise software applications and services, CDC Mobile focused on mobile applications, CDC Games focused on online games, and China.com focused on portals for the greater China markets. For more information about CDC Corporation (NASDAQ: CHINA - News), please visit www.cdccorporation.net.
About CDC Games
CDC Games Limited is focused on building a diversified mix of online game assets and strategic alliances and is a business unit of CDC Corporation (NASDAQ: CHINA). CDC Games is one of the market leaders of online and mobile games in China with over 30 million registered players.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties and changes in circumstances. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward looking statements, including the following: the ability of CDC Games to localize, launch and operate The Lord of the Rings, the popularity of The Lord of the Rings in China, the ability of CDC Games to leverage the infrastructure and foundation of gamers in China, the loyalty of gamers in China. Further information on risks or other factors that could cause results to differ is detailed in filings or submissions with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission made by CDC Corporation in its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2005 on Form 20-F filed on June 21, 2006. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to management as of the date of the press release, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company assumes no obligation to update or alter the forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
"The Lord of the Rings Online," "Shadows of Angmar," "Middle-earth," "The Lord of the Rings," and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to Turbine, Inc. Turbine and the Turbine logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Turbine, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts:
Adam Mersky
Turbine, Inc.
781-407-4487
amersky@turbine.com
Stacey Clement
360 Public Relations
617-585-5774
sclement@360publicrelations.com