暴雪（Blizzard）的许多游戏在中国都拥有广泛的用户群体，他们对如此巨大的网络游戏市场自然是不会视而不见。暴雪首席执行官Mike Morhaime日前在接受媒体采访时宣布，他们将与网易合作，为中国玩家带来《星际争霸II》、《魔兽争霸III》和战网。

    暴雪官方与网易今天联手宣布了他们的合作计划，暴雪将授权网易在中国大陆运营《星际争霸II》、《魔兽争霸III：混沌之治》、《魔兽争霸III：冰封王座》和在线对战网络平台“战网（Battle.net）”的权利，双方将结为投资合作伙伴。

    根据双方达成的协议，暴雪的授权时限为3年，其中会包含一年时间的缓冲期，用以准备《星际争霸II》的正式发售和运营。

Blizzard Entertainment(R) and NetEase to Introduce StarCraft(R) II and Battle.net(R) Platform into Mainland China

SHANGHAI, China, Aug 12, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and NetEase.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) today announced an agreement to license Blizzard Entertainment(R)'s StarCraft(R) II, Warcraft(R) III: Reign of Chaos(TM), Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne(TM), and Battle.net(R) platform, which provides online multiplayer services for these games, to Shanghai EaseNet Network Technology Limited, an affiliated company of NetEase.com, Inc. Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase have also established a joint venture, which will provide support for the operation of the licensed games and Battle.net platform in China.

"NetEase has been a leader in the Chinese game market, and we look forward to working with them to deliver high-quality entertainment to Chinese gamers," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This partnership is a sign of our continued commitment to our players in China and to the local industry."

William Ding, CEO of NetEase, stated, "We're excited to be partnering with Blizzard Entertainment to bring StarCraft II and Battle.net to China. We hope to combine Blizzard Entertainment's expertise in developing world-class games with NetEase's strength in online-game operation in China to bring the best gaming experiences to our players."

The term of the license will be three years, with a mutual one-year renewal period, commencing from the commercial release of StarCraft II in the PRC. Under the agreements, Shanghai EaseNet will pay a revenue-based royalty over the license period, while NetEase will pay a milestone-based license fee and fund and guarantee certain additional payments and operating expenses in connection with the joint venture.