NCsoft Corporation (KSE), a leading Korean online game developer and publisher, and Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited (SNDA), a leading interactive entertainment media company in China, announced an exclusive purchase agreement. This agreement specifies that Shanda will obtain an exclusive license to operate NCsoft’s highly-anticipated 3D MMORPG AION game – “The Tower of Eternity” in mainland China.

AION is a multi-faceted story set within a mythical world that involves the oppositional Angelic and Demonic races and the growing threat posed by the emerging Draconic race. In the AION universe, the actions of individual characters shape and advance the game’s storylines with the potential to alter the dynamics of the game’s environment as well as character alliances.

CEO of NCsoft, Tack-jin Kim, stated “We are very excited to bring our highly anticipated title AION to the China market. Shanda is our most ideal partner in China, given its proven track record in operating MMORPGs, its nationwide distribution platform as well as its strong marketing capabilities. We believe our partnership with Shanda represents an alliance between leading game companies in Korea and China, and we are very optimistic about our collaboration going forward.”

“AION, which is the result of almost four years of hard work by a leading online game developer, is one of the most anticipated games in China and has been recognized by gamers as the next generation in online games,” said Tianqiao Chen, Shanda’s Chairman and CEO. “We are confident about the game’s prospects in the China market, given its cutting-edge content and the strength of Shanda’s operating platform. In addition, through our strategic investment in NCsoft China, we look forward to introducing more high-quality titles from NCsoft in the future.”

Let us hear your thoughts: