EitaroSoft and The9, China's Online Game Market Leader, Jointly Releasing Android (TM)-based MMORPG 'Galaxy Frontier' in China

TOKYO, Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- EitaroSoft, Inc.* announced on Feb. 22 that the company and The9 Limited* have concluded a license agreement to jointly deploy in the Chinese market a smartphone version of EitaroSoft's "Galaxy Frontier,"* which has become the first Japanese mobile 3D Action MMORPG, currently in service at two media sites -- "esgames" (http://esgm.jp/pc/ ) operated by EitaroSoft and the "docomo market" operated by Japan's largest mobile carrier NTT DOCOMO.

In China, there is already an enormous online game market consisting of more than 2 million game players. The9 has started to focus its business on this promising smartphone entertainment market in China ahead of other companies. For instance, the Chinese firm has been licensed deploy in China "OpenFeint," well known worldwide as a game platform or SDK for smartphones.

EitaroSoft is willing to play a part in familiarizing Chinese smartphone users with online games through this 3D mobile Action MMORPG Galaxy Frontier, which has kept the first place in "the most downloaded application" ranking in the Roll Playing Game category of the docomo market (ranked 1st place out of 155 apps as of Feb. 14, 2011) since Dec. 1, 2010.  

Hereafter, EitaroSoft is getting into full swing in its bid to target the global smartphone market starting with Japan and China, followed by South Korea, the USA and other markets.

About The9 Limited

The9 Limited (NASDAQ: NCTY) is the leading online game developer and operator in China. The9's business is primarily focused on developing and operating high-quality games for the online, web, social and mobile game markets. The9 also introduced OpenFeint into China and works with major telecom carriers to publish quality mobile games in domestic app stores.

About Galaxy Frontier  

Galaxy Frontier is the latest RPG title developed by EitaroSoft, which has released many big titles ever since its establishment. Especially this Galaxy Frontier has overcome the generally considered difficulties relating to developing "Action RPGs" on the mobile phone, and this achievement brought users more enjoyable online party play with other players such as the strategic defense and offense action versus the enemy. The development team is the one that developed the massively popular "Master of Fantasia" game downloaded by more than a million users. So this Galaxy Frontier can be called a most sophisticated piece in action and story nature.

Generally speaking, online games have the image that only the core game players enjoy them because a game consumes a long time to clear. But this new game has adopted a "fatigue conceptualized system" that nowadays is often utilized for social games, making it more enjoyable even for light users who prefer to have fun from games only when they have spare time. The game's story line is profound, developing in the stage of 8 planets in the universe, with a future human race fighting for its survival against the giant mechanized invader weapon "Sheol."

< Story concept > Writer: Naruki Nagakawa  

Examples of his main works: Online RPG Dragon Ball (story concept and scenario), Eureka Seven (NEW WAVE 3rd and 5th episodes, scenario, and so on)

< Writer's agency > EdgeWORKS, Inc.

EdgeWORKS is a scenario production company with Kazuki Yamanobe as the representative director. Experienced professional scenario writers have composed game scenarios and other genres of scenarios. They have produced more than 200 pieces of work. URL: http://www.edge-works.co.jp/en/index.html

< Website introducing the game in video >

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o8VrTCLC6A

< Website showing sample images > http://www.eitarosoft.co.jp/press/20110222/

< Business model > Free download, no monthly fee, Item-by-item charge

About EitaroSoft, Inc.

EitaroSoft is a Japanese company that has successfully developed Japan's first 3D engine using application software. The company also has provided its original 3D avatar system, using Ajax which is quite advanced technology in the world. In addition to the avatar technology, the company has succeeded in providing Japan's first 3D avatar system for mobile browsing. Furthermore, EitaroSoft has the original online P2P technology that has brought about the first Japanese 3D mobile MORPG called "Master of Fantasia," which allows up to four people to tag a party to go for monster hunting. EitaroSoft is pouring its energies on network games. EitaroSoft has been challenging breakthroughs in technological R&D and has actually realized many of these. EitaroSoft has thus won a high reputation from clients seeking to provide differentiated services.

For more details about us:  http://www.eitarosoft.co.jp/

Established: January 2002 Headquarters: Tokyo

SOURCE EitaroSoft, Inc.