Shengqu Games

Shengqu Games is a publisher and operator of online games based in Shanghai, China. Founded in 1999 as Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited, it spun off from Shanda Interactive in 2009 and is currently owned by Zhejiang Century Huatong. Shanda's published and operated games include AION, MapleStory, The World of Legend, The Age, Magical Land, Ragnarok Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Crazy Arcade, GetAmped and Final Fantasy XIV (in mainland China) among others.

Shengqu Games
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded1999
HeadquartersShanghai, China
Key people
Xiaoqiang Hou (CEO)
ParentZhejiang Century Huatong
WebsiteShandaGames.com (Chinese) Shanda Games Online (Chinese)

History

Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited was founded in December 1999 by Chen Tianqiao, Chrissy Luo, and Chen Danian.[1] In September 2001, Shanda published its first game, The Legend of Mir 2 (热血传奇), which was licensed from a Korean company, WeMade Soft.[1] In 2003, a dispute over profit sharing caused the relationship to fracture between Shanda and WeMade. No longer able to operate The Legend of Mir 2, Shanda developed the game The World of Legend (传奇世界), which began operation in June 2003. Shanda transferred all user data from The Legend of Mir 2 into the new game, promising its customers that their character, points, armors and weapons would remain the same. WeMade Entertainment deemed The World of Legend to be a copy of Mir 2 and sued Shanda for copyright infringement in October 2003. After a prolonged legal battle, the two companies reached a settlement on April 26, 2009.[2] By October 2004, Shanda operated eight games and was the largest online game company in China, hosting 1.2 million simultaneous players.[3]

By June 2008, Shanda Games Limited had become a business unit of Shanda Interactive.[4] In 2009, Shanda Interactive spun off Shanda Games in the largest IPO in the United States that year under the ticker: GAME,[5] raising US$1.04 billion.[6][7] At the time, Shanda Games provided 77 percent of Shanda Interactive's revenue.[8] Shanda Group founder Tianqiao Chen subsequently sold his stake in Shanda Games in 2014.[9] In 2017, the Shanda Games brand was acquired by Zhejiang Century Huatong Group.[10][11][12]

On March 30, 2019, following a buyout by Zhejiang Century Huatong Group, Shanda Games changed their name to Shengqu Games.[13]

Subsidiaries and sub-organization

"Aurora Technology" and "Eyedentity Games" are subsidiary of "Shengqu Games" company. "Actoz Soft" is sub-organization.

Products

Video games

Hardware
  • Ez Station, game console[15]
  • Ez MINI, handheld game console[16]

See also

References
  1. "Top 10 biggest IPOs by game manufacturers". China Daily. June 17, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  2. Lv, Jiayu (2009-04-26). "(Simplified Chinese) Shanda MIR Copyright Infringement Legal Case Finally Settled in Second Half of 2009". games.qq.com. Tencent. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
  3. Roth, Daniel (October 4, 2004). "In Search of China's Bill Gates". CNN. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  4. "Danian Chen". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  5. Sayantani, Ghosh (October 17, 2011). "Shanda Interactive CEO offers to take company private". Reuters. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  6. "Shanda Entertainment History". Shanda.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  7. Rege, Alyssa (August 17, 2017). "Why Chinese billionaire Tianqiao Chen transitioned from investing in video games to CHS, neuroscience". Beckers Hospital Review. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  8. Barboza, David (February 15, 2012). "Shanda Interactive's Shareholders Back Buyout Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  9. "Entertainment Titan's New Career". Beijing Review. December 11, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  10. "Zhejiang Century Huatong Group shareholders acquire 47.9 pct stake in Shanda Games Limited". Reuters. 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  11. "BRIEF-Zhejiang Century Huatong's shareholders to acquire remaining stake in Shanda Games". Reuters. 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  12. Jourdan, Adam (February 8, 2018). "China's Tencent to invest $474 million in Shanda Games". Reuters. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  13. "Shengqu Games – Former Chinese giant Shanda Games re-brands under new management". MMO Culture. 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  14. "Xinhua - English". News.xinhuanet.com. 2006-08-29. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  15. Dickie, Mure (February 13, 2007). "Shanda shake-up delivers boost to sales". Financial Times. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  16. Dickie, Mure (February 28, 2006). "Shanda profit hit by free-to-play model". Financial Times. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
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