Today, The9 establishes Red 5 Singapore to operate Firefall in Asia and other regions. Firefall is Red 5 Studio first action team-based shooter game. Demo and Press Release after the break.
Here is the trailer.
Press Release
The9 Establishes Red 5 Singapore to Operate Firefall
in Asia and other Regions
SINGAPORE – The9 Limited (NASDAQ: NCTY) (“The9”), an online game developer and operator in China, announced today that it has established Red 5 Singapore Pte. Ltd. (“Red 5 Singapore”) for conducting online game operations and R&D activities.
Red 5 Singapore will be responsible for the operation of Firefall in all the countries around the globe other than North American and European markets, and will first focus on the Asian markets. The9 and Red 5 Studios, Inc.(“Red 5”) will support Red 5 Singapore with talent recruitment, capital investment, technology, as well as other necessary resources. Red 5 Singapore will develop localized versions of Firefall according to the progress of the game in each country in the Asia region, and will become the Asian operation and development center for Firefall.
In early 2010, The9 announced its acquisition of majority stake in Red 5 and since then, it has provided support to Red 5 for the game development and preparation work for the game launch. Firefall, Red 5 Studios’ first team-based action shooter game, has already attracted interests from gamers, media and industry peers across the world. It is also a demonstration of The9’s ‘Global Game for Global Market’ strategy.
“The market share and revenue in Asia has a huge impact on the Firefall global operation. This was one of the reasons why we have decided to set up an Asia headquarters for Firefall,” said Mr Zhu Jun, CEO of Red 5 Singapore. “The decision to set up the office in Singapore came after much consideration and a comprehensive study of the region. As one of Asia’s most powerful economies, Singapore is strategically-located, demonstrates a thirst for global talent, latest technology and has strong support from the government. The rich resources of talent, friendly government policy and efficiency here have won us over.”
“After launching the Singapore office, we will invest more resources to support it as the Asian headquarter overseeing the entire operation of Firefall in the region. This setup plays a crucial role in the global operation of Red 5,” he continued.
Tony Park, Vice President of Red 5 Singapore, also said that aside from developing a localised version of Firefall that caters to the unique demands in Asia and ensuring an effective promotional campaign, they will recruit top development and operation talents from around the world, provide a platform for Singapore talents to cross learn from these elites. This will help drive Firefall and other future products as core revenue streams for both Red 5 and The9.
Mark Kern, the Chief Executive Officer of Red 5, commented, “We are very excited to witness the establishment of Red 5 Singapore as an accomplishment of our global strategy implementation. This also highlights the importance of Asian market on the global operation of Firefall. By leveraging the outstanding talents and resources from Singapore and other Asian countries, we believe that Firefall will achieve a highly anticipated performance in Asia, which will also be recognized as a milestone of Red 5 to bring our games to millions of online gamers around the world.“
“We are delighted that The9 Limited has chosen Singapore as its base to spearhead its global strategy. Red 5’s Asian operation in Singapore will create an opportunity for local talent to work with some of the most respected veterans in the games industry. It is also a validation of Singapore’s attractiveness as a location for both Asian and Western companies looking to develop games for the international markets,” said Jayson Goh, Executive Director, Infocomms & Media Division, Singapore Economic Development Board.
About The9 Limited
The9 Limited is an online game operator and developer in China. The9 directly, or through affiliates, operates licensed MMORPGs including Soul of The Ultimate Nation™, Atlantica and Kingdom Heroes 2 Online, as well as its proprietary MMORPGs and web and social games including World of Fighter, Winning Goal and Q Jiang San Guo, in mainland China. It has also obtained exclusive licenses to operate other games in mainland China, including Seoyugi, Rosh, Free Realms and Planetside 2. In addition, The9 is developing various proprietary games, including Shen Xian Zhuan, Firefall, Era Zero and other MMORPGs and web and social games. In 2010, The9 established its Mobile Internet Unit to focus on mobile internet business.
About Red 5 Studios, Inc.
Red 5 Studios is an online game developer located in California, formed in 2006 by former executives and developers from Blizzard Entertainment. Red 5 Studios is dedicated to bringing together millions of gamers across the World by creating immersive worlds, intriguing stories and compelling characters and believes that online games and persistent worlds are the future of video games.
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