Kabam To Distribute Eastern Strategy, Aerial Combat Games In The West

Kabam is looking to the East once again.

Having already found success in bringing popular games from China, South Korea and Japan to Europe and North America with a $50 million fund created specifically for that purpose, the San Francisco-based company has struck another deal for a game that should fall right into Kabam’s wheelhouse. The game is called “Gong Chen Lue Di” (or “GCLD” for short), and it’s described as “the most popular strategy game in China.”

Developed by Game Reign of Shanghai, “GCLD” focuses on managing resources, building armies and battling other players — all staples of Kabam titles like “Dragons of Atlantis” and “The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth.” Kabam’s teams will translate the game into English and make adjustments with a Western audience in mind.

“Kabam is a leader when it comes to bringing hit Chinese games to North America,” Game Reign Network vice president Jing Jin said in a presss release announcing the agreement. “We wanted to make sure everyone can experience the rich, immersive gameplay of ‘GCLD,’ and Kabam was the ideal parter to make that a reality.”

The tricky part might be making it feel different enough from the company’s current offerings yet keeping it familiar enough to players who already enjoy mobile strategy games. That won’t be an issue for the second deal it recently announced, with centers on an aerial combat game from Korean studio WeMade.

Though it doesn’t have a title yet, the game promises real-time PvP dogfights (sounding somewhat like a mobile version of “World of Warplanes,” perhaps). As with “GCLD,” Kabam will translate the game into English and run marketing and operations for it in the U.S., parts of Europe, and Brazil.

“WeMade has developed a truly unique first person action experience with this aerial combat game that Kabam will distribute in the West,” Amit Ranade, president of Kabam Distribution, said via press release. “There’s really nothing like it in the market, which is why Kabam is uniquely positioned — and equally excited — to share it with a global audience. We look forward to a long and mutually-beneficial relationship with WeMade.”

A second WeMade game is also part of the deal, which gives Kabam exclusive distribution rights everywhere except for certain Asian countries.

Both agreements were made utilizing Kabam’s WorldWide Developer Fund, adding to the 23 previously announced partnerships that have produced 30 games. The company expects that all $50 million dollars in the fund will be allotted by the middle part of this year.

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