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Insider: The9 to License EA MMO, WLK in Deadlock
An unnamed insider said that Electronic Arts (EA) (Nasdaq:ERTS) has unofficially chosen The9 (Nasdaq:NCTY) as the operator of its 3D MMORPG Warhammer Online, reports Donews. Rumors say The9 offered EA a larger licensing fee than that of EA's licensed soccer game FIFA Online 2 in negotiations that were attended by The9 President Xiaowei Chen and EA Asia Pacific President Jon Niermann, said the insider. The9 licensed FIFA Online 2 from EA last March.
The insider added that The9's negotiations with Blizzard Entertainment for the second World of Warcraft expansion, "Wrath of the Lich King" (WLK), are in a deadlock. The9 said in February that rumors of WLK's delay were unfounded, as The9 had never set an official date for its release.
The9 denied that negotiations with Blizzard are in a deadlock, and said that it has spent the last few months working to localize the WLK expansion, reports Sina. The9 is not using the EA negotiation to put pressure on Blizzard; EA is a shareholder and partner of The9, the company added.
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