U.S. video game publisher THQ announced Tuesday the opening of a new office in Shanghai in a move to pursue more development and publishing partners in the fast-growing Chinese market.
The new office will work to expand existing local partnership to develop and publish both online and packaged games for distribution in China and around the world, the Los Angeles-based company said.
"The Asian markets represent a significant growth opportunity for THQ, particularly as we execute on our strategy to grow revenue from online gaming, an increasingly important segment for our industry," said Martin Good, senior vice president of the THQ Asia Pacific region in a statement.
THQ plans to launch Company of Heroes Online -- a free-to-play, micro-transaction game designed specifically for Asia -- later this year in collaboration with its Chinese partner, Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd.