Expected to be The Monster Hit of 2007
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec. 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GigaMedia
Limited ("GigaMedia" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: GIGM) announced today that
it has secured an exclusive license to offer and operate the highly
anticipated action game Hellgate: London(R) in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
"Hellgate: London is the hottest new game for 2007 -- created by the
same team of game giants that brought Diablo and Warcraft to the world,"
stated GigaMedia CEO Arthur Wang. "Hellgate: London is going to be a
monster hit."
Hellgate: London(R) is the creation of the fabled Flagship Studios and
is distributed by leading international game publisher HanbitSoft, Inc.
"Flagship and HanbitSoft are the Steven Spielberg and Pixar of the game
world," stated CEO Wang. "Hellgate: London is their next-generation product
and we are looking at a blockbuster."
Flagship Studios was founded in 2003 by a team of executives and
developers renowned for numerous #1-selling games and multiple Game-of-the-
Year awards to their credit, including the worldwide best-selling Diablo(R),
Starcraft(R) and Warcraft(R) games.
HanbitSoft is a leading international publisher of online games, with a
long track record of successful large scale multi-player games such as
Granado Espada, Neo Steam, Neo Baseball and PangYa.
"We are excited to partner with GigaMedia and its leading FunTown casual
game portal," stated Tony Park, President of International Business at
HanbitSoft. "The combination of HanbitSoft's gaming publishing track record
and GigaMedia's large player base and operating team ensures that Hellgate:
London will be a huge success in Asia."
"Joining with HanbitSoft and Flagship Studios is joining the dream
team," explained GigaMedia CEO Wang. "We are thrilled and expect this
partnership will significantly accelerate and extend our robust revenue and
earnings growth in 2007 and beyond."
GigaMedia will operate Hellgate: London(R) in partnership with Cyber
Gateway Limited, a leading regional online game operator, pursuant to a
strategic joint venture in which GigaMedia holds a 70 percent interest, and
Cyber Gateway 30 percent. For the three-year exclusive operating license,
the joint venture will pay an aggregate licensing fee and minimum guarantee
of US$9 million.
Hellgate: London(R) is the marquee title from premier developer Flagship
Studios. Since the game was announced in 2004, it has received an
overwhelming amount of attention including its appearance on more than 30
magazine covers worldwide in addition to multiple industry nominations and
awards.
Hellgate: London(R) is an action-driven role-playing game that combines
the depth and customizability of role-playing games with the immersive
excitement and action of first-person-shooter games. In the game, the
player creates a heroic character, completes quests and battles through
innumerable hordes of demons to advance through experience levels and
branching skill paths. A robust, flexible skill and spell system, highly
customizable appearances and a massive variety of randomly generated
equipment allow players to create their own unique heroes. With dynamically
created items, chance events and story-driven quests, no two gaming
experiences are ever the same.
Set in the year 2038, Hellgate: London(R) introduces a world devastated
by a demon invasion and a desolate city scorched by hellfire where mankind
has gone underground to survive. The mystic sanctuary of the underground
system provides players safe conduct throughout the sprawling metropolis of
London as they seek to preserve the bloodline of man, gain a foothold
against the minions of darkness, and destroy the gates of hell.
About GigaMedia
GigaMedia Limited (Singapore registration number: 199905474H) is a major
provider of online entertainment software and services. GigaMedia develops
software for the online entertainment markets, including the global online
gaming market. GigaMedia's FunTown game portal is a leading Asian casual
games portal and the world's largest online MahJong game site in terms of
revenue. GigaMedia also operates a broadband ISP providing Internet access
services to consumers and corporate subscribers in Taiwan. More information
on GigaMedia can be obtained from http://www.gigamedia.com.tw .
About HanbitSoft, Inc.
HanbitSoft, Inc. is a leading game publisher and developer based in
Korea. Established in 1999, HanbitSoft is the global publisher of numerous
leading MMOGs, including Granado Espada, Neo Steam, Neo Baseball, Hellgate:
London(R), Guardians Online, Tantra, PangYa, Survival Project and WYD.
HanbitSoft also develops MMOGs both in-house and by investing in Korean and
overseas studios such as IMC Games, Flagship Studios, Auran Studio, and
Studio Mars. For more information about HanbitSoft, Inc., log onto
www.hanbitsoft.com .
About Flagship Studios
Flagship Studios is a creator of innovative entertainment software,
designing games that focus on ease of play, replayability, and fun. The
studio was formed in 2003 by former executives and developers from Blizzard
North(R) and represents the creators of the worldwide, best-selling Diablo
(R) franchise. With members that are renowned within the gaming industry,
Flagship Studios embodies a team that has worked together for over a decade
and have numerous #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards to
their credit. For more information about Flagship Studios, log onto
www.flagshipstudios.com .
The statements included above and elsewhere in this press release that
are not historical in nature are "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. GigaMedia cautions readers that forward-looking
statements are based on the Company's current expectations and involve a
number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially
from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Information as to
certain factors that could cause actual results to vary can be found in
GigaMedia's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission in June 2006.
For further information contact:
Brad Miller
Investor Relations Director
Tel: +886-2-3518-1107
Email: brad.miller@gigamedia.com.tw