BEIJING, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Sohu.com Inc. (Nasdaq: SOHU), China's leading online media, communications, search, online games and mobile value-added services company, today announced that its massively multi-player online role-playing game ("MMORPG") subsidiary, Changyou.com Limited ("Changyou") (Nasdaq: CYOU), has launched Blade Hero 2, a new 2.5D martial arts-style fighting massively multi-player online role-playing game.
Blade Hero 2, created as a sequel to Changyou's existing game Blade Online, features a fighting and team-combat system that allows players to experiment with authentic fighting techniques and weapons from different sects of martial arts, including the use of hidden weapons, as well as deploy Chinese combat strategies in battles. Blade Hero 2 also employs Changyou's dynamic graphic technology, which can exhibit detailed fighting moves and other special effects to enhance the virtual fighting experience.
Dr. Charles Zhang, Sohu's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "We are pleased to announce the launch of Blade Hero 2, which supports our strategy to further diversify our game portfolio. Blade Hero 2 includes popular features, and we expect the game to further expand our user base."
Blade Hero 2 began its ultimate closed beta testing today and is now publicly available for game players to download. All game account data will be saved permanently without cancellation.
About Changyou
Changyou.com Limited's ("Changyou") (Nasdaq: CYOU) 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 and is now a leading developer and operator of online games in China and completed an initial public offering on April 7, 2009. 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's pipeline games include the licensed 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 an advanced 2.5D graphics engine, 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 http://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 http://www.sohu.com ; interactive search engine http://www.sogou.com ; #1 games information portal http://www.17173.com ; the top real estate website http://www.focus.cn ; #1 online alumni club http://www.chinaren.com ; wireless value-added services provider http://www.goodfeel.com.cn ; leading online mapping service provider http://www.go2map.com ; and developer and operator of online games http://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 Company'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 thirteenth 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 first half of 2009 which could continue through the remainder of 2009, the uncertain regulatory landscape in the People's Republic of China, fluctuations in Sohu's quarterly operating results, EPS dilution resulting from Changyou's initial public offering, 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, 2008, 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.
Tel: +86-10-6272-6596
Email: ir@contact.sohu.com
Ms. Cathy Li
Ogilvy Financial, Beijing
Tel: +86-10-8520-6104
Email: cathy.li@ogilvy.com
In the United States:
Ms. Jessica Barist Cohen
Ogilvy Financial, New York
Tel: +1-646-460-9989
Email: jessica.cohen@ogilvypr.com
