Giant Interactive Group Licenses Empire of Sports for China

Giant Interactive Group Inc. has licensed Empire of Sports for exclusive distribution in China. Empire of Sports, currently in beta, is a sports-themed virtual world with a heavy focus on casual gameplay.  The license will last through September 15, 2011. ''We are very excited to announce this new licensing agreement. The sports game genre remains a largely untapped market in the Greater China region, and we believe Empire of Sports represents an ideal entry point and growth opportunity for Giant," Wei Liu, President of Giant, said in a statement. "With the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games nearing, we believe interest in sports-related games is poised to increase. Given the high quality, professional design and input from respected sports authorities on the development of Empire of Sports, coupled with our leading nationwide sales and marketing network, we believe Giant will be well positioned to capture share in the growing sports game market.''