Viet Son Net

Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA) game subsidiary Shanda Games (Nasdaq:GAME) started alpha testing of its acquired naval battle-themed strategy webgame Dahai Zhan Web on May 10, according to a posting on the game’s official site on May 10. During testing, players will be offered coupons to purchase game tools, according to a separate posting.

Shanda Games took over the webgame Dahai Zhan: Zongheng Sihai from Beijing-based game developer 678game.com and spent about a year redeveloping it into its current incarnation, 17173.com reported in April.

Anonymous sources say online video site Tudou.com’s chief software architect, Zhao Liang, has joined Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA), Sina reported April 2. Zhao is likely to head up the technical department at Shanda’s online video site Ku6.com, the report said.
Previous reports said Zhao resigned from Tudou.com in March.

Shanda Interactive Entertainment’s (Nasdaq:SNDA) game subsidiary Shanda Games (Nasdaq:GAME) has renamed its in-house developed 2D martial arts MMORPG Zhan Guo Xia Lv as “Yingxiong Shidai II” (“The Age II”) and plans to launch the game in first half of 2010, 17173.com reported March 30 citing a company announcement.

Shanda originally unveiled the game during the the seventh China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (ChinaJoy) in Shanghai in July 2009.

Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA) plans to start co-operating Kingsoft’s (3888.HK) in-house developed 3D martial arts MMORPG JX Online 3 in May this year, 17173.com reported citing a March 19 Shanda announcement. The companies have agreed that Kingsoft will be responsible for game content and quality, while Shanda will distribute and promote the game, the report said.

Kingsoft Chairman and CEO Pak Kwan Kau confirmed last June that that his company was in talks with The9 (Nasdaq:NCTY) and Shanda to co-operate JX Online 3. Kingsoft and Shanda announced late 2009 that they will establish a joint venture to co-operate games, starting with JX3.

Kingsoft has nine games scheduled for release in 2010, according to a separate 17173.com report. The company said it plans to start second-round alpha testing of its licensed Chinese fantasy 3D MMORPG Feitian Fengyun in April, launch martial arts game Du Gu Jiu Jian in May, and has slated Yue Ying Chuan Shuo, 3D western fantasy MMORPG Shanggu Shendian, and community game Jian Ke Xing for June. Kingsoft will release its first webgame Shendao Xing 8 Ke in September, the report said. The company also plans to release 2D martial arts MMORPG The First Myth III in the first half of this year and launch 2.5D fighting game Feng Shen Zheng Ba in the latter half of 2010, the report said.

Previously, the company had scheduled Yue Ying Chuan Shuo and Du Gu Jiu Jian for closed beta testing in the second half of 2009.

Shanda Interactive Entertainment’s (Nasdaq:SNDA) game subsidiary Shanda Games (Nasdaq:GAME) plans to start limited alpha testing of its licensed 2D side-scrolling fighting casual game The King of Fighters’ World on April 17, according to a posting on the game’s site.

Shanda Games and Japanese developer SNK Playmore Corporation agreed to co-develop an online version of SNK Playmore’s The King of Fighters in July 2009.

Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA) division Shanda Online Holdings (SDO) is planning to found a “Rainbow City” industry base in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park where it will locate a customer services base for all Shanda businesses, National Business Daily reported March 3. According to the report, “Rainbow City” will also house the company’s new cloud computing services. The company plans to hire more than 10,000 employees for the site.

Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA) games unit Shanda Games (Nasdaq:GAME) plans to start alpha testing of a new version of “Mir 2 Sidestory,” (Chuan Qi Wai Zhuan), a classic version of its licensed MMORPG Legend of Mir II, on March 5, 17173.com reports March 1. The new version will remove some content that has caused some controversy among gamers and add a new mode to allow gamers to earn virtual currency.

Shenzhen-based download software provider Xunlei released an updated online game ranking based on client-end downloads from Xunlei’s site gougou.com on March 1. The top ten online games for the week ending February 28 were:

1. Cross Fire (Operator, Developer: Tencent (0700.HK), SmileGate)
2. QQ Speed (Tencent)
3. TianXia II (TX2) (NetEase (Nasdaq:NTES)
4. Kart Rider (Shiji Tiancheng, Nexon)
5. World of Warcraft (NetEase, Blizzard Entertainment)
6. Legend of Mir 2 (Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA), Wemade)
7. Dungeon and Fighter (Tencent, Neople)
8. Tian Long Ba Bu (Changyou (Nasdaq:CYOU))
9. Chuan Yue Online (Shanda, Beijing Chuanyue Shidai Information Technology)
10. Zhu Xian Online (Perfect World (Nasdaq:PWRD))

Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA) plans to acquire Beijing-based game company Ourgame and will make an official announcement in early March, Sina reported February 24 citing an unnamed source. According to the report, rumors in January said Korean Internet and online game company NHN Corp. (035420.SEO) had approached both Shanda and Perfect World (Nasdaq:PWRD) about a potential sale of its 50% stake in Ourgame.

A report by Sohu the same day citing an unspecified source said that Perfect World had bought the 50% stake from NHN. Ourgame, Perfect World, and Shanda all refused to comment on the rumor, according to the report.

Ourgame has stopped operation of its licensed martial-arts game The World Of Jingwu, made large staff cutbacks for a number of game projects including 3D game The Millionaire’s Wonderland Online and has been sending back Korean employees since February, DoNews reported the same day citing unnamed sources. Ourgame Vice President of MMOs Yang Yong’an resigned on February 22, said the report.

Kingsoft (3888.HK) plans to release two expansion packs, “Cangjian Shanzhuang” and “Bashu Fengyun,” for its in-house developed 3D martial arts MMORPG JX Online 3 in May and in the fourth quarter of 2010, respectively, according to a February 24 posting on the game’s official site. The expansions will add three new factions to the game.

Reports in late December 2009 said that Shanda (Nasdaq:SNDA) division Shanda Games (Nasdaq:GAME) and Kingsoft planned to establish a joint venture, whose first project will be to operate Kingsoft’s JX Online 3.