THQ Announces Joint Venture with China Online Operator ICE Entertainment to Bring Casual MMO Title Dragonica to North America in 2009

New Joint Venture Provides North American Platform for THQ Online Games

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Sep 16, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — THQ Inc. today announced that it has formed a joint venture with ICE Entertainment ("ICE"), an operator of online games located in Shanghai, China, to launch Dragonica, a free-to-play, micro-transaction-based massively multiplayer online ("MMO") casual game scheduled for release in North America in 2009. ICE's Chief Executive Officer Sun Tao is the former Chief Technology Officer of The9, a leading operator of online games including World of Warcraft(R). The new joint venture combines ICE's online operating experience with THQ's product development and retail publishing expertise to create a new platform for online games in the North American market.

"We are extremely excited to be working with ICE Entertainment to bring this free-to-play, micro-transaction-based online game to the robust yet largely untapped market for online casual gaming in North America," said Doug Clemmer, president of THQ's casual gaming subsidiary. "We are even more pleased to be building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship, which we hope will lead to additional opportunities to deliver online gaming content globally."

"We are looking forward to combining THQ's extensive marketing and retail expertise with our advanced technology and proven online game operating know-how to deliver a great new casual gaming experience for North American consumers," said Sun Tao, chief executive officer, ICE Entertainment. "We also look forward to working with THQ more closely to develop new games and explore future publishing opportunities in both markets."

The market opportunity for online casual gaming in North America is estimated to be $2.2 billion by 2013 (Source: DFC Intelligence). China's fast growing online games market was valued at US$1.7 billion in 2007 and reached more than 42 million online gamers. The market is expected to grow to US$4.2 billion by 2010. (Source: Niko Partners).

About Dragonica

Dragonica is a massively multiplayer online casual game developed by Barunson Interactive Co, based in Korea. Dragonica is free-to-play and players may choose to pay for additional content and features on a micro-transaction basis. Barunson Interactive spent seven years developing Dragonica, which brings cartoon side-scrolling action online games to a new peak. The game's totally 3D rendering design, fresh cartoon characters and scenery modeling, create a new visual perception of side-scrolling games. Dragonica skillfully mixes the elements of action and arcade, and creates various ultimate skills to enhance playability. ICE currently has the rights to operate the game in China and plans to commence its closed beta for that market in late 2008.

About ICE Entertainment

Founded in 2006, ICE is an online game operator based in Shanghai, China, with an established online technology platform and proven management team, including CEO Sun Tao, former vice president and chief technical officer of leading Chinese operator The9, among others, with many years of experience in the online game field. ICE is focused on the development and operation of massively multiplayer online games. More information about ICE Entertainment may be found at www.icee.cn.

About THQ

THQ Inc. is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and its respective logo is a trademark and/or registered trademark of THQ Inc.

Want Lost Planet? We've got ten, count 'em, ten copies of the Xbox 360 game to put in your greedy hands. Just handing them out ain't no contest though, but a giveaway. So here's our newest contest:

Using ice, snow or sand (for you warm weather folks) sculpt something game-related, snap a pic and send it our way to kotakucontest@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name and address as well as some info about your creation. We'll post the entries and from that select the winners. Contest ends January 5th, and the winners will be announced the following day. Like any contest, this one's got rules. Good luck and happy sculpting! Brian Ashcraft

Disco No.1:

Disco No. 1, also known as Sweet Heart, was put out in 1982 by Data East. The action took place on a roller rink where you played a 90 lb. weakling out to hook up with cute chicks. But watch out for the tough guys who are out on the rink as well, looking to knock you out and move in on your action. You could win the girl's love by skating around them and completely encircling them with your "skate line". Extra points could be earned by picking up bonus items that floated around the rink area and destroying the tough guys. It was eventually reworked into an Intellivision game called Thin Ice that featured playful penguins on an ice rink.

This flyer is interesting in that it's giving out such a bizarre group of mixed messages. It was made in 1982, in disco's dying days but, the flyer art is clearly evoking a sort of 50's sock hop thing. Only a few people seem to be wearing actual roller skates and the guy in the middle background looks like he's wearing an early version of rollerblades. Then there's the weird older guy in the lower right corner with the shades and what looks to be a rather large joint. I'm assuming he's one of the aforementioned tough guys. Looks to me more like somebody's pervy dad who hangs out by the rink's snack bar offering hot dogs to teenage girls. Flynn De Marco

Over at 1Up, they've got a wonderful Friday afternoon time killer in 'Playing With Power: Great Ideas That Have Changed Gaming Forever'. They look at a couple dozen gameplay conventions and trace them from modern usage down to their 8-bit progenitors.

Some of the great ideas that have shaped gaming are better than others — power-ups versus ice or life bar vs. canine companions — but it's just the sort of nostalgic retrospective gamers have so much fun spacing out reading. Florian Eckhardt

Playing With Power: Great Ideas That Have Changed Gaming Forever [1UP] (Thanks, Jane!)