The9.com pays $35 million for HellGate

On May 29, The9.com, the Chinese service provider for the World of Warcraft, announced that it will pay $35 million over a three year period for the exclusive rights to HellGate: London, a new MMORPG game. The9.com will pay off this amount in several installments and share part of the revenue. Currently, almost 100% of the company's revenue come from WOW. This announcement is seen as part of its diversification effort. HellGate is the first game developed by Flagship Studios, a developer with several well-respected industry characters and it combines the elements of both MMORPG and FPS games. The game will ship in 2007.