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Beijing, China, September 9,
2010 –Sohu.com
Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU), China's leading online media, communications, search,
online games and wireless
value-added services group, today announced that its massively multi-player online role-playing
game (“MMORPG”)
subsidiary,
Changyou.com Limited
(“Changyou”) (NASDAQ: CYOU), will begin open-beta testing of Immortal Faith, Changyou’s first 2D martial arts massively
multi-player online role-playing game (“MMORPG”), on September 9,
2010.
Immortal Faith is a game licensed from a local game studio in
China. Set against a backdrop of a
number of ancient Chinese myths and folk tales, the game allows players to
battle demons and assist deities in the conquest of various fairy kingdoms found
in Chinese mythology. By
participating in the specially designed fighting modes and utilizing the game’s
featured dynamic fighting moves, the game lets users experience the life journey
of becoming immortal.
Mr. Dewen Chen,
President and Chief Operating Officer of Changyou, commented, “The open beta
launch of Immortal Faith brings
Changyou into the 2D mythical MMORPG segment, and furthers our product
diversification efforts. Packed
with attractive graphics showcasing different cultural elements from ancient
China, the game contains many creative forms of combat aimed at attracting a new
group of players to further expand our user base. ”
About
Changyou
Changyou.com
Limited’s massively multi-player online role-playing games (“MMORPG”) business
began operations as a business unit within Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU) in 2003.
Changyou, a leading developer and operator of online games in China, was carved
out as a separate, stand-alone company in December 2007, and completed an
initial public offering on April 7, 2009. Changyou currently operates
six
online games, including the in-house developed Tian Long Ba Bu, one of the most
popular online games in China, and the licensed Blade Online, Blade Hero 2, Da
Hua Shui Hu,
Zhong Hua Ying Xiong
and
Immortal Faith. Changyou has a diversified pipeline of games with various
graphic styles and themes, including the licensed Legend of the Ancient World,
and the in-house developed Duke of Mount Deer, which received an award as one of
China’s most anticipated online games. Changyou’s advanced technology platform
includes advanced 2.5D and 3D graphics engines, a uniform game development
platform, effective anti-cheating and anti-hacking technologies, proprietary
cross-networking technology and advanced data protection technology. For more
information about Changyou, please visit
http://www.changyou.com/en/.
About Sohu.com
Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU) is China's premier online
brand and indispensable to the daily life of millions of Chinese, providing a
network of web properties and community based/web 2.0 products which offer the
vast Sohu user community a broad array of choices regarding information,
entertainment and communication. Sohu has built one of the most comprehensive
matrices of Chinese language web properties and proprietary search engines,
consisting of the mass portal and leading online media destination www.sohu.com;
interactive search engine www.sogou.com; #1 games information portal
www.17173.com; the top real estate website www.focus.cn; #1 online alumni club
www.chinaren.com; wireless value-added services provider www.goodfeel.com.cn;
leading online mapping service provider www.go2map.com; and developer and
operator of online games www.changyou.com.
Sohu corporate services
consist of brand advertising on its matrix of websites as well as paid listing
and bid listing on its in-house developed search directory and engine. Sohu also
offers wireless value-added services such as news, information, music, ringtone
and picture content sent over mobile phones. Sohu's massively multiplayer online
role-playing game (MMORPG) subsidiary, Changyou.com (NASDAQ: CYOU), currently
operates six online games, including Tian Long Ba Bu, one
of the most popular online games in China, and the licensed Blade Online,
Blade Hero 2, Da Hua Shui Hu, Zhong Hua Ying Xiong and Immortal Faith. Sohu.com,
established by Dr. Charles Zhang, one of China's internet pioneers, is in its
fourteenth year of operation.
Safe Harbor Statement
This
announcement contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not
historical facts, including statements about Sohu’s beliefs and expectations,
are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans,
estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on
them. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We
caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.
Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the current
global financial and credit markets crisis and its potential impact on the
Chinese economy, the slower growth the Chinese economy experienced during the
latter half of 2008 and in 2009,
which could recur in the future,
the
uncertain regulatory landscape in the People's Republic of China, fluctuations
in Sohu's quarterly operating results,
and Sohu’s
reliance on online advertising sales, online games and wireless services (most
wireless revenues are collected from a few mobile network operators) for its
revenues. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in
Sohu's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2009,
and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For investor and media inquiries, please
contact:
In China:
Ms. Li Mei
Sohu.com Inc.
Tel: +86 (10)
6272-6596
E-mail: ir@contact.sohu.com
Mr. Chen Yuan Yuan
Christensen
Tel: +86(10)
5971-2001
E-mail: ychen@ChristensenIR.com
In the United States:
Mr. Jeff Bloker
Christensen
Tel: +1 (480)
614-3003
E-mail: jbloker@ChristensenIR.com