That’s another company down!
You should’ve heard of Tencent by this point. It ownsRiot Games(andLeague of Legendsby extension), has a majority stakein Epic Games, is helping Capcom produceMonster Hunter Online, was partially responsible for bringingCall of Duty Onlineto China, is currentlyproducing a Steam Machine-esque set-top box, and now it hasinvestedin strategy developer Paradox Interactive.
If Paradox’s name doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you’ve heard of its most recent gameStellaris. The studio also developed the most recentCrusader KingsandEuropa Universalistitles and publishedCities: Skylines.Paradox has made a lot ofpopular strategy games, is what I’m saying.
“It has always been very important for us that any partners we bring on board can contribute in a unique and attractive way to Paradox and have a long term commitment to the company. Tencent certainly fit the bill with their network and know-how of a market where we are not yet present and we believe Tencent will be able to add great value to Paradox in near and long term,” ParadoxCEO Fredrik Wester said in a statement published earlier today.
“We look forward to teaming up with thoughtful and strategic gamers in China to discover Paradox’s deep, emergent titles, and enabling them to colonize the New World, as well as the outermost Galactic confederations,” Tencent’s chief strategy officer James Mitchell said in the same statement.
These quotes add up to a suspicion I’ve had ever since Chinalegalized video game consoles: a lot of publishers are going to try andmove into China, and a lot of Chinese companies want to share in the profit. For once, this is an investment that doesn’t quite tie into the “all-consuming Tencent” narrative. Hollywood has been digging into the lucrative Chinese market for ages, like when Marvel released an exclusive Chinese cut ofIron Man Three.
Of course, let’s not completely discount this addition to Tencent’s enormous video game portfolio. Its video game arm remains set to make a lot of money, and I’d wager we’ll see Tencent pulling from those aforementioned business relationships if video game consoles take off in China.
Paradox Interactive listing attracts Tencent as fan and long-term investor[Paradox Interactive]
