Changyou.com

Changyou.com Ltd.
Nasdaq: CYOU
GenreMassively multiplayer online games
PredecessorAn online games unit of Sohu
FoundedAugust 6, 2007 (2007-08-06)[1]
Headquarters
Cayman Islands
ParentSohu
Websitechangyou.com
Changyou.com
Simplified Chinese北京畅游时代数码技术有限公司
Literal meaningBeijing "Swim Generation" Digital Technology Co Ltd
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinBěijīng chàngyóu shídài shùmǎ jìshù yǒuxiàn gōngsī

Changyou.com Ltd. operates online games, primarily massively multiplayer online games, in China.[2] Originally a division of Chinese Internet company Sohu, Changyou was spun off and went public in 2009 through a variable interest entity (VIE) structure based in the Cayman Islands.[3] The company claims it was operating independently of Sohu as early as 2007.[4]

Some of its games derive revenue from the sale of virtual goods,[5] and many are licensed rather than developed in-house.[6] Such deals have helped its roster of MMORPGs swell from two in 2009[7] to nearly a dozen as of 2014.[8]

c. 2009, its most popular game may have been the MMO Tian Long Ba Bu (Chinese: 天龙八部),[9] which translated means "Novel of Eight Demigods".[4] Some games in its portfolio are available to play outside of China in countries including Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States,[10] and Vietnam.

In 2011, the company purchased nearly 70% of a browser games maker, 7Road.[11]

In 2020, the company was acquired by Sohu and all Changyou.com stock was delisted from NASDAQ.[12]

  1. ^ "Changyou.com Ltd (CYOU.O): FULL DESCRIPTION". Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  2. ^ "ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY History and Development of the Company". UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION: FORM 20-F; CHANGYOU.COM LIMITED. US Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Greenberg, Andy (2 April 2009). "Sohu's Ambitious Stepchild". Forbes. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Company Overview". changyou.com. ChangYou.com Limited. Retrieved 2 June 2014. Our MMOG business began operations as a business unit within the Sohu Group in 2003, before our carve-out as a separate, stand-alone company in December 2007 and subsequent listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market in April 2009.
  5. ^ "Changyou Selects PlaySpan's UltimatePay for its Online Game Properties". playspan.com. PlaySpan, Inc. 2010-03-18. Retrieved June 12, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ For licensing of Blade Online, Blade Hero 2, Da Hua Shui Hu and Zhong Hua Ying Xiong, see "Gaming Industry: Changyou Signs Office Building Purchase Agreement." Investrend. COMTEX News Network, Inc. 2010.
    • For licensing of Battlefield Online, see "Sohu.com Announces Changyou.com Began Open Beta Testing of "Battlefield Online" on November 15, 2012." China Weekly News. NewsRX. 2012.
    • For licensing of Immortal Faith, and Legend of Ancient World, see "China In-Focus: Changyou Sells 8.625 Million Shares In IPO." Investrend. COMTEX News Network, Inc. 2009.
    • For licensing of San Jie Qi Yuan, see "Sohu.com Kicks Off Open Beta Testing of 'San Jie Qi Yuan' by Changyou.com." Entertainment Close-up. Close-Up Media, Inc. 2010.
  7. ^ "China In-Focus: Changyou Sells 8.625 Million Shares In IPO." Investrend. COMTEX News Network, Inc. April 8, 2009.
  8. ^ "Game Type > MMOG". ChangYou.com Limited. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Le chinois Changyou.com défie le NASDAQ". L’Atelier (in French). L’Atelier BNP Paribas. 26 March 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  10. ^ "ChangYou.com Opens U.S. Subsidiary and Launches Its First Online Game in U.S." China Weekly News. NewsRX. 2009.
  11. ^ "Sohu.com to Acquire Majority Stake in 7Road by Changyou.com." Entertainment Close-up. Close-Up Media, Inc. 2011.
  12. ^ "Changyou.com Announces Completion of Going-Private Transaction" (Press release). Cision. April 17, 2020.