Shanda Games and Square Enix today announced a strategic partnership that will leverage Square Enix’s strong game content with the strength of Shanda Games’ broad experience as a leading online game developer, publisher, and operator in mainland China. The partnership starts with an exclusive license in mainland China to Final Fantasy XIV, a massively multi-player online role-playing game and the latest installment of the Final Fantasy franchise, which has sold more than 97 million units worldwide. This will be the first release of a Final Fantasy franchise title in mainland China.
Shanda Games is focused on creating a global online game platform offering the most compelling content and services. On the heels of Shanda Games’ other recent successful game launches, the strategic partnership with Square Enix will further advance its strategy to provide high-quality, diverse and innovative game content to Chinese gamers and to expand its user base.
Final Fantasy XIV in mainland China will be operated from servers separate from those servers for the Japanese, North American and European markets. Other details regarding the launch of Final Fantasy XIV in mainland China including launch timing will be announced at a later date.