Chinese game company Shanda (SNDA) will acquire Chengdu Aurora Technology Development Company, a developer of massively multiplayer online role playing games.

Established in July 2004, Aurora Technology has an extensive nationwide online and offline multi-channel pre-paid game card distribution network. The company's flagship game, Feng Yun Online, is a 3D MMORPG inspired by Chinese folk stories. In the second quarter of 2007, Feng Yun Online recorded nearly 1.5 million active accounts. Aurora Technology's Legend Online is also a 3D MMORPG based on Chinese mythology and folklore.

"Aurora Technology is a leading 3D MMORPG developer and operator in China. The acquisition of Aurora Technology expands our user base, enriches our content portfolio, and provides us with immediate and significant revenue," said Tianqiao Chen, chairman and CEO of Shanda. "Both Feng Yun Online and Legend Online are excellent additions to our existing 3D MMORPG portfolio and we plan to utilize our strong operating platform and operational expertise to better monetize these titles. In addition, the acquisition will also help us establish a new R&D center in Chengdu, which is one of Western China's major cities, to make full use of local talents and technologies for game development. Given the complementary nature of Aurora Technology's and Shanda's operations, we are confident in the timely and seamless integration of the two businesses."