PRESS RELEASES
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Soul of the Ultimate Nation, Reborn on May 15
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- Addition of a spacious field and Mission Competing System, 2 weeks delay in OB schedule
(2006-04-21) ‘Soul of the Ultimate Nation (SUN)’, the most anticipated game for 2006, will be reborn as a next generation game with the introduction of a powerful Mission Competing System.
Webzen Inc. (CEO Nam Ju Kim, www.webzen.com) announced that the open beta test which was originally planned to commence on May 2, will be pushed back 2 weeks to May 15, with the full-scale introduction of the Mission Competing System.
Accordingly, the 2nd pre-open beta testing date will be adjusted to commence on May 8 to May 12.
Webzen CEO Nam Ju Kim stated, “After the success of MU, as a leading company in this industry, we want to continue to lead the next generation games through SUN. Even taking into consideration all the risks associated with the service delay, we believe that through these new contents, we will be able to satisfy all the SUN users with high anticipation
In the SUN open beta test, not only a spacious field map will be added, but also a new concept of a detailed quest system will be introduced. Also, newly integrating the mission and competition elements as the main composition, the game will provide a ‘survival mode’, which the users will have to compete which other in order to survive, and the ‘time attack’ mode, where the users will hunt as many monsters as possible during a limited time. The users will also be able to enjoy the vivid PvP element, and the ‘ranking system’ which will be provided regularly within the game.
The AC (Area Conquest) System, where the user can receive various benefits depending on the amount of contribution by the user in its corresponding area, is another factor the users will enjoy during the open beta.
Webzen is in the process of testing the open beta version of SUN, and is preparing the marketing promotion strategy for the grand open on May 15.
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April 21 2006
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WEBZEN NAMES CINDY ARMSTRONG CEO OF WEBZEN AMERICA
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- Former Sony Online Entertainment Executive Brings More Than 15 Years of Industry Experience to Leading Global Online Game Company
LOS ANGELES and SEOUL – April 12, 2006 - WEBZEN America, Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of Korea-based online entertainment company, WEBZEN, Inc. (NASDAQ: WZEN), announced today it has hired Cindy Armstrong as the chief executive officer of the company’s North American operations. A seasoned executive with extensive experience in online entertainment, Ms. Armstrong will spearhead WEBZEN America’s strategy to bring world-class online games to the Western market.
“Ms. Armstrong has the perfect pedigree to lead WEBZEN America and firmly establish the company in this critical territory,” said NamJu Kim, chief executive office of WEBZEN, Inc. “Her industry knowledge, business development expertise and international expansion experience make her tremendously qualified to help WEBZEN meet its goal of becoming a leading online game company in all major markets worldwide.”
“Joining WEBZEN America as the company is on the verge of becoming a powerhouse online games company in this market is an exciting and incredible opportunity,” said Ms. Armstrong. “The suite of online games WEBZEN has slated for the U.S. is truly unmatched by any other publisher and I look forward to helping the company deliver on its potential to exceed the expectations of North American online gamers.”
Ms. Armstrong brings more than 15 years of online entertainment experience to WEBZEN America. Previously she was Vice President of Business Development for Sony Online Entertainment where she was responsible for all facets of the company's business development efforts, focusing on: emerging markets, international expansion, product acquisition and OEM opportunities.
Before SOE, Ms. Armstrong held key positions at a variety of other top electronic entertainment companies, including Nintendo of America, Boss Game & Film Studios, NES International, Inc. (Paris, France) and Activision UK Ltd. Cindy has been involved with several successful product launches, including the Nintendo 64 and Super NES.
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April 13 2006
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WEBZEN & Red 5 Studios sign exclusive worldwide publishing
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WEBZEN SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE PUBLISHING DEAL
WITH FORMER WORLD OF WARCRAFT® DEVELOPERS RED 5 STUDIOS
SEOUL – Feb. 28, 2006 – Global online entertainment company WEBZEN, Inc. (NASDAQ: WZEN) today announced that it has signed an exclusive worldwide agreement with U.S.-based Red 5 Studios, Inc. to publish a new MMOG property.
The contract was executed today at WEBZEN’s headquarters in Seoul.
Creating tremendous industry buzz and anticipation since the company’s inception in September 2005, Red 5 Studios was formed by key members behind Blizzard Entertainment®’s World of WarCraft®, including the game’s Team Lead Mark Kern and Art Director William Petras and Online Director for Asia, Taewon Yoon.
“WEBZEN and Red 5 Studios share the same vision and passion to create next generation online games that can successfully suit the tastes and demands of gamers worldwide,” said Nam Ju Kim, CEO, WEBZEN, Inc. “We are confident that projects such as these will help WEBZEN reach its goal of becoming a top global online games publisher.”
The core members at Red 5 studios have proven their development prowess in launching successful online game properties such as Diablo II, Starcraft series and Warcraft III on a global scale. As such, WEBZEN is being heralded for obtaining the company’s promising new game property, which is primed to deliver worldwide market appeal. For WEBZEN, the publishing deal is an important component to its mid-and long-term objective of building a world-class games portfolio.
“WEBZEN offers the optimal environment for developing games, with its world-class technology and overall expertise in online game entertainment,” said Mark Kern, President and CEO, Red 5 Studios. “WEBZEN is becoming a huge force in the global online games marketplace. Their commitment and determination partnered with our unique game concept is a winning combination for a blockbuster title.”
The new game from Red 5 Studios is in its initial stages of development, and more details on the title will be released at a later date.
This publishing contract marks WEBZEN’s second global publishing deal, after acquiring in 2005 the worldwide license for All Points Bulletin (APB), David Jones’ online game, for both PC and XBOX360 platforms.
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February 28 2006
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Soul of the Ultimate Nation, April 25 Comeback
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Soul of the Ultimate Nation, April 25 Comeback
- April 25th, 2nd Pre-open beta final server check
- Strengthening of the battle zone system, addition of field map
February 24, 2006 (SEOUL. KOREA) – Webzen Inc. (WZEN) today
Announced that the 2nd Pre Open beta test for its MMORPG Soul of the Ultimate Nation (SUN) will start on April 25th followed by the open beta.
Soul of the Ultimate Nation’s 2nd pre-open beta will take place for 5 days from April 25th to 29th with the same version as the open beta, and the data from the 1st pre-open beta will be preserved as it was. Subsequently, through initialization, the full-scale open beta is scheduled to start on May 2nd.
Webzen Inc. stated that the opinions received from users during the testing process will be implemented, and the users will be able to see a more perfected game during the open beta session. Soul of the Ultimate Nation will be demonstrated in front of all the worldwide gamers during the E3 Game Expo in the US on May 10th, and will show its true character at its best, both in name and reality.
“The opinions received from the testers will be applied into the game, and we will compete with the best contents and quality in the market.” said Nam Ju Kim, Chief Executive Officer of Webzen Inc.
During the open beta session, Soul of the Ultimate Nation’s best feature of the mission and hunting within the battle zone system will be strengthened, and the users will be able to experience the differentiated action-oriented element of the game.
In addition, taking into consideration the diversity of the users, while keeping the strong points of the game, the field map will be introduced so that the users who are familiar with the existing field style MMORPG cans also enjoy the game.
During the close beta tester gathering of the Soul of the Ultimate Nation, a over 300,000 volunteers signed up for the accounts making the competition a record breaking 303 to 1. With the number of current subscribers at over 1 million, many are curious to see what sort of new record will be seen during the open beta in May.
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February 24 2006
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Webzen sells China right to Soul of the Ultimate Nation
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WEBZEN SELLS CHINA RIGHTS TO SOUL OF THE ULTIMATE NATION FOR $13 MILLION TO THE 9
The Largest Export Transaction in Korea’s Online Game History
22% Royalty Based on Revenues for 3 years after Starting Service
December 13, 2005 (SEOUL, Korea) – Export contract price for a Korean online game has finally passed the $10 million mark. Webzen, Inc. (www.webzen.com) today announced that it has signed an export contract for its much-anticipated Soul of the Ultimate Nation with China’s premier game publisher The 9 (www.the9.com).
The value of this contract is the largest single export transaction in Korea’s online game history. With the included minimum annual guarantee, the total contract price comes to $13 million, and in addition, after commencement of service in China, 22% royalty based on revenues will be paid to Webzen, Inc. for 3 years.
“We’re quite pleased with this first deal, which is the result of a whole lot of investment and effort,” said Nam Ju Kim, chief executive officer of Webzen, Inc. “Along with China, we have also been discussing Soul of the Ultimate Nation service with companies in Europe and other areas of the world. We are confident that we will continue to get great results.” He added, “And with this contract, Soul of the Ultimate Nation’s value and interest will increase in the global market.”
Zhu Jun, chief executive officer of The 9, said, “The signing of this contract has taken the relationship between the two companies to another level, and as we did with MU, we’ll be proving our operational capabilities once again with Soul of the Ultimate Nation. After completing its localization and stabilization, we’ll be in the testing phase by the end of 2006.”
Having achieved a record 300,000 concurrent online users in 2003 in China with MU, Webzen, Inc. is poised to create another legend in Asia with the signing of the contract for Soul of the Ultimate Nation with The 9, one of China’s top 3 publishers.
About Webzen, Inc.
Founded in 2000 and based in Seoul, Korea, Webzen has become a leader in the MMOG market and has developed some of the world’s top online game and client/server technologies. Listed on the NASDAQ, Webzen is continuing the tradition of MU Online with Soul of the Ultimate Nation and an array of exciting game titles soon slated for release in the world’s game market. Webzen is also the first publisher in Korea to diversify into console platforms, including Xbox360 and PS3. In January of this year, Webzen announced its entry into the U.S. games market with a new subsidiary, Webzen America, based in Los Angeles.
About The 9
Founded in 1999 and currently a top-3 publisher in China, The 9 is focused on online game publishing. With the success of its first service title, Webzen’s MU, which recorded 300,000 concurrent online users, The 9 has become a major publisher in China. In December 2004, it was listed on the NASDAQ and joined the ranks of world-class publishers. It broke another world record with 540,000 concurrent online users with WOW in June 2005, and continues to hold its place as a premiere publisher in China. The 9’s current lineup of titles includes MU, Mystina, JJW, and WOW (World of Warcraft).
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December 13 2005
