bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

PCCW plans to tap the lucrative mainland online gaming market in a joint venture with South Korean internet powerhouse NHN.
Hong Kong's dominant fixed-line player would invest US$4 million and its South Korean partner $3 million. Details are expected to be announced tomorrow, according to industry sources.  
The partnership would allow both sides to expand into the mainland online entertainment market and share digital content.
According to International Data Corp (IDC), the mainland online gaming market was worth US$96.5 million in 2002 and is expected to grow 31 per cent annually, reaching $357 million in subscription revenue by 2007.
China has about 13.12 million online gamers - 41.9 per cent of them paying customers - who spend countless hours glued to their computers playing what are known as massive multiplayer online role-playing games.
'The [online gaming market] is pretty hot now,' IDC  analyst Chin Jun said. 'The telcos need content for their broadband offerings.'
The new venture would introduce NHN's Hangame interactive entertainment platform to China, with offerings including e-business, community and video-on-demand services. Its online gaming platform in South Korea carries more than 50 internet games and 10 mobile games.
Market watchers said the joint venture would bring online games to the mainland as early as April.
'It is a very big market now - growing aggressively,' Mr Chin said. But foreign console makers such as Microsoft and Sony have found difficulty cracking a market where software piracy is rampant.
Investment in mainland online gaming comes as Shanda Networking, said to be the mainland's most popular network, prepares for a Nasdaq listing expected in the first quarter.
 According to reports, Japan's Softbank  plans  to launch its BB Games online portal in China, while South Korea's Webzen derives about 12 per cent of its net income from a joint venture in the mainland.
A PCCW spokesman declined to confirm the establishment of the joint venture but said: 'We are working with NHN right now and details will be disclosed later.'
NHN previously said it was seeking to expand into China and Japan.
 Its net profit rose 172 per cent  year on year to 29.53 billion won (HK$183 million) for the six months to June last year. Sales were up 158 per cent  to 76.48 trillion won.



PCCW to tap mainland online gaming