BEIJING, March 1 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Sohu.com Inc. (Nasdaq: SOHU),
China’s leading online media, communications, search, online games and mobile
value-added services group, today announced that its massively multi-player
online role-playing game (“MMORPG”) subsidiary, Changyou.com Limited
(“Changyou”) (NASDAQ: CYOU), will begin open-beta testing of Da Hua Shui Hu,
Changyou’s 2D turn-based cartoon-style MMORPG, on March 18, 2010.
(LOGO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100201/CNM013LOGO )
Da Hua Shui Hu, a game developed by a Guangzhou-based game development
studio, is based on one of the four great classical novels of Chinese
literature, Outlaws of the Marsh. Through its cartoon graphics and humorous
twists on characters and plots, Da Hua Shui Hu provides an amusing and
entertaining take on the heroic tales from the classic Chinese novel.
Mr. Dewen Chen, Changyou’s president and chief operating officer,
commented, “As Changyou’s first cartoon-style turn-based game, Da Hua Shui Hu
complements our existing game offerings and further enriches Changyou’s game
portfolio. It marks another step forward in our strategy of focusing on both
in-house developed and licensed games. We expect the game to help expand our
user base with its easy-to-learn community-based game play, popular storyline
and unique features, which innovatively incorporate a number of today’s most
popular gaming elements.”
Da Hua Shui Hu was successfully licensed in 2009 through Changyou’s “Qi
Bao” strategic licensing plan, which aims to discover high-quality online
games.
About Changyou
Changyou.com Limited’s massively multi-player online role-playing games
(“MMORPG”) business began operations as a business unit within Sohu.com Inc.
(NASDAQ: SOHU) in 2003. Changyou was carved out as a separate, stand-alone
company in December 2007, completed an initial public offering on April 7,
2009 and is now a leading developer and operator of online games in China.
Changyou currently operates three online games, including the in-house
developed Tian Long Ba Bu, one of the most popular online games in China,
and
the licensed Blade Online and Blade Hero 2. Changyou has a diversified
pipeline of games with various graphic styles and themes, including the
licensed Da Hua Shui Hu, Zhong Hua Ying Xiong, Immortal Faith, Legend of the
Ancient World, and the in-house developed Duke of Mount Deer, which received
an award as one of China’s most anticipated online games. Changyou’s leading
technology platform includes advanced 2.5D and 3D graphics engines, a uniform
game development platform, effective anti-cheating and anti-hacking
technologies, proprietary cross-networking technology and advanced data
protection technology. For more information about Changyou, please visit
www.changyou.com/en/ .
About Sohu.com
Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU) is China’s premier online brand and
indispensable to the daily life of millions of Chinese, providing a network of
web properties and community based/web 2.0 products which offer the vast Sohu
user community a broad array of choices regarding information, entertainment
and communication. Sohu has built one of the most comprehensive matrices of
Chinese language web properties and proprietary search engines, consisting of
the mass portal and leading online media destination www.sohu.com;
interactive
search engine www.sogou.com; #1 games information portal www.17173.com; the
top real estate website www.focus.cn; #1 online alumni club
www.chinaren.com;
wireless value-added services provider www.goodfeel.com.cn; leading online
mapping service provider www.go2map.com; and developer and operator of online
games www.changyou.com.
Sohu corporate services consist of brand advertising on its matrix of
websites as well as paid listing and bid listing on its in-house developed
search directory and engines. Sohu also offers wireless value-added services
such as news, information, music, ringtone and picture content sent over
mobile phones. The Group’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(MMORPG) subsidiary, Changyou.com (NASDAQ: CYOU), currently operates three
MMORPGs, Tian Long Ba Bu, Blade Online and Blade Hero 2. Sohu.com,
established
by Dr. Charles Zhang, one of China’s internet pioneers, is in its
fourteenth
year of operation.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Statements that
are
not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations,
are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans,
estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance
on them. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties.
We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results
to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.
Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the current
global financial and credit markets crisis and its potential impact on the
Chinese economy, the slower growth the Chinese economy experienced during the
latter half of 2008 and in 2009, which could continue through 2010, the
uncertain regulatory landscape in the People’s Republic of China,
fluctuations
in Sohu’s quarterly operating results, Sohu’s historical and possible future
losses, and its reliance on online advertising sales, online games and
wireless services (most wireless revenues are collected from a few mobile
network operators) for its revenues. Further information regarding these and
other risks is included in Sohu’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2009, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Mr. James Deng
Senior Finance Director
Sohu.com Inc.
Phone: +86-10-6272-6596
Email: ir@contact.sohu.com
Ms. Cathy Li
Ogilvy Financial, Beijing
Phone: +86-10-8520-6104
Email: cathy.li@ogilvy.com
In the United States:
Ms. Jessica Barist Cohen
Ogilvy Financial, New York
Phone: +1-646-460-9989
Email: jessica.cohen@ogilvypr.com
SOURCE Sohu.com Inc.
In China: Mr. James Deng, Senior Finance Director, Sohu.com Inc.,
+86-10-6272-6596, or ir@contact.sohu.com; or Ms. Cathy Li, Ogilvy Financial,
Beijing, +86-10-8520-6104, or cathy.li@ogilvy.com; In the United States: Ms.
Jessica Barist Cohen, Ogilvy Financial, New York, +1-646-460-9989, or
jessica.cohen@ogilvypr.com