Japan may be known for being invaded by monsters such as Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Gamera, but it‘s about to get a whole slew of new beasties to tangle with. Turbine Inc., a Massachusetts-based game publisher, today announced that Sakura Internet Inc. will distribute and help localize the PC massively multiplayer online game Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach for Japan. Sakura, an Internet telecom service, will be responsible for marketing, distributing, and maintaining the game in the region. D&D Online was released in the US in late February and was published by Atari.
�TURBINE ADDS JAPAN TO ITS WORLDWIDE DEPLOYMENT OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE? STORMREACH?
�SAKURA Internet Will Distribute the Title to Fans in 2006 WESTWOOD, MA, March 8, 2006 ?Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with SAKURA Internet Inc., a major Japanese collocation and Internet telecommunication connectivity service provider for corporations including online gaming and Internet service providers. Under the terms of the deal, Turbine will work closely with SAKURA to localize DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE? Stormreach?for the Japanese market. SAKURA also will market, distribute, and operate the game in that territory. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: Stormreach successfully launched last week in the United States and Europe, after more than 400,000 players signed up for the Beta before launch in those territories. The property is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS).
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揝AKURA has a rich online history and tradition in Japan and we are tremendously excited to be in partnership with them,?said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. We see the Japanese market as an exciting opportunity for the title.?/P>
Our vision is to lead the growth of online games in Japan,?said Ryo Sasada, President and CEO of SAKURA Internet Inc. 揥e believe that DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE ?is the perfect franchise for us to deliver to our audience as part of this strategy.?/P>
Developed by Turbine and published by Atari, Inc. in the US and Europe, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: Stormreach is the first and only massively multiplayer online roleplaying game based on the world-renowned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS?brand franchise from Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro. This unique online world features highly customizable characters built from authentic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS races, abilities, skills, and feats; real-time action combat; dangerous dungeons with devious traps; hand-crafted, private adventures; monsters and stories from the action-packed and intrigue-laced Eberron?campaign setting; and award-winning visuals.
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