DeNA and NetDragon team up to make social games for China market

Japanese social gaming platform operator DeNA is slowly but steadily spreading its social gaming network throughout major countries across the world. According to a recent press release from the company, the company will be joining its efforts with online game developer NetDragon Websoft (Heroes of Might and Magic Online) to create a new company to develop and maintain mobile social games for the Chinese market.

The joint venture will be in business in early 2012 with 30 staff members on board and $6 million in capital. The new company will help localize non-Chinese social games from DeNA's social game catalogue as well as maintain operations of the aforementioned titles on Mobage China. The games will be available for purchase on NetDragon's app distribution platforms usable on most smartphones in China. The joint venture will also allow the company to develop in-house titles for Mobage users sometime in the future.

Under Chinese law, foreign game companies will need to team up with local game companies or operators if they wish to penetrate the market.