It is reported that Baidu will partner with online game operators to operate online game service soon, the official news will be announced early next week. You can access the Baidu online game channel.
Baidu now partners with Shanda, Joycub.cn and 51wan.com to operate six browser games. Among all six games, four of them are offered by 51wan.com, a browser online game company recently got financing from Sequoia Capital China. For games by Shanda and 51wan.com, it does not support Baidu account, users need to register a new account at Shanda and 51wan.com respectively. So it seems that Baidu is more like a promotion channel for these games.
Most of the big Internet companies in China have or used to had their own online games, except Baidu. In last September, Baidu launched Baidu Game, a search-based game community.
One reply on “Internet in China: Baidu To Operate Online Game Service”
One thing that a lot of people have missed in this recent economic down turn is the fact that in-game money for all of the massive mutliplayer online role playing games has not been effected. I guess it just shows how strong and stable the computer game industry really is.