Japanese video game maker Sega said today it will enter the Chinese game software market next month to expand its share of the global game software market.
Sega, which is transforming itself into a game software maker after pulling the plug on its loss-making Dreamcast game-console business, is to release two game titles for personal computers in China on June 15th through an alliance with a local game developer.
The Beijing-based partner, Merix Interactive Entertainment, will work with Sega in producing Chinese-language versions of its games, and Sega products will be sold via Merix's sales network in China, a Sega spokeswoman said.
The decision also reflects moves by the Chinese government to do more to protect software copyright, the spokeswoman said.
Sega, along with other Japanese game software creators, has not sold games, including game machines, in China due to concerns about illegal copying.
The Tokyo-based company aims to launch more than 13 PC games - transplanted versions of existing titles -this year, with the goal of selling 1.5 million units by June next year, the spokesman said.
By next June, we hope to have 10 percent of the Chinese game software market, which is growing rapidly and now has an estimated 19 million users, she said.