LOS ANGELES (August 25, 2011) – TAITO Corporation (TAITO®), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., and NEOWIZ GAMES CORP., (NEOWIZ® GAMES) today announced the debut in Korea of PUZZLE BOBBLE® ONLINE, a multiplayer online PC game service based on TAITO’s classic PUZZLE BOBBLE (BUST-A-MOVE®) series. The service officially launched Tuesday, August 23.
Officially licensed and produced under the supervision of TAITO and developed and operated by NEOWIZ GAMES, PUZZLE BOBBLE ONLINE (http://pb.pmang.com/) is Korea’s first fully high-definition casual online game. The launch of this service also marks a landmark collaboration between TAITO—a game industry veteran taking active steps to promote their strong catalog of intellectual property (IP) worldwide—and NEOWIZ GAMES, one of Korea’s leading online game operators and an experienced creator of online adaptations based on major global franchises.
Popular throughout the world and in Asia in particular, this online PC addition to the PUZZLE BOBBLE franchise faithfully includes the classic match-three puzzle game play beloved by fans, but with fresh and attractive new graphics. Rendered in high-definition, the adorable game characters and their charming antics add further visual appeal. In addition to a competitive mode capable of pitting up to six players against each other, PUZZLE BOBBLE ONLINE also features a single-player mode, making it appropriate for everyone from beginners to expert players.
Akihito Shoji, TAITO’s Senior Vice President of Content, said:
“With their refined, industry-proven planning and development experience, NEOWIZ GAMES has successfully taken our beloved puzzle game and turned it into a thrilling online experience. NEOWIZ GAMES is without a doubt one of the leaders in the Korean gaming arena, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner. We at TAITO are dedicated to bringing our IP to the global market, and this project with NEOWIZ GAMES marks an important step in that direction. I’m confident that PUZZLE BOBBLE ONLINE will exceed all expectations.”
Sang-kyu Yoon, NEOWIZ GAMES’ CEO, commented:
“I am pleased to work with TAITO, one of the leading game companies in Japan. PUZZLE BOBBLE is very well-known in Korea, its popularity dating back to its original arcade release, and Korean gamers are eager to play this classic online. We’re doing our best to make PUZZLE BOBBLE ONLINE enjoyable to a wide audience, including both existing fans and newcomers.”
TAITO and NEOWIZ GAMES will continue working together to provide PUZZLE BOBBLE ONLINE with ongoing updates in an effort to deliver the most appealing service possible.
