Chinese puzzles

More online games? Cool!

Yes, folks, it’s true China.com has announced a grand search for participating developers from Japan, Korea, China, the United States, Europe, India and Australia “with long-standing, successful track records in the development of top-quality and successful online games, and the vision and innovative skill to develop games from the ground up that will be culturally attractive to the vast and growing China gaming user base,” as the firm attempts to get the huge nation as hooked to video gaming as the rest of us.

CDC Games chairman Fred Wang explained the grand plan by stating that "China is just at the very beginning of its evolution of developing its entertainment, and gaming sector.” China.com, says Wang, will provide games that are “culturally aware, entertaining and educational.” (Come on, educational? Really?).

The program is based in the franchise partnership rolled out by CDC Software earlier this year, the reception of which by the Chinese enterprise software market has reportedly been impressive.

CDC Games will invest the equivalent of up to US $20 million per game development partner. CDC also plans to undertake market research and game research via the CDC Games team; the CDC plan is to mine their 30 million-plus registered users for feedback. The Online Games Developer Program will be managed by Dr. Xiaowei Chen, chief executive officer of CDC Games and chief financial officer of China.com Inc.

Would-be game developers interested in participating (and with a potential US $20 million as a prize, who wouldn’t be?) can contact the company at www.cdccorporation.net. CDC Corporation is focused on enterprise software, mobile applications and online games.

As part of its strategic review, the company has reorganized into two primary operating business units, CDC Software and China.com Inc. Internet service and video game company China.com. is a division of CDC Corporation. China.com has been established nationwide in thirty provinces and reportedly serves more than 5 million first-time visitors daily. The China.com network currently supports the company’s widely online games, portal business and hosting services for more than 1,700 Chinese businesses.