18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

The intention of the Beijing Gamease Age Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (“CYOU”) in filing this application is to proactively promote and establish the “GAME” English string at the Internet Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) name space and to provide a trusted, hierarchical and intuitive namespace for eligible registrants and users that use CYOU’s broad range of high-quality entertainment and virtual communities services.

CYOU prepares to run the .GAME registry with the understanding of the popularity of the proposed string. CYOU wish to adopt an open, inclusive approach and is willing to collaborate with other interested parties. CYOU also acknowledges that the applied-for string was proposed in the 2000 round of gTLD application process, and CYOU is completely irrelevant and different with the previous applicant(s), as explained in the following section.


Beijing Gamease Age Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (“CYOU”)
Beijing Gamease Age Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (“CYOU”); NASDAQ: CYOU for changyou.com limited ) is a leading developer and operator of online games in China. Application began its operations as a business unit within Sohu.com Inc. (“Sohu”, NASDAQ: SOHU) in 2003 before carving out as a separate, stand-alone company in December 2007 and subsequent listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market in April 2009. We now operate one of the most popular Massive multiplayer online game (“ MMOGs”) in China , one of the top-ranking Web-based games in China and have enjoyed strong growth in user data and revenues for our games. Currently, Cyou are also operating many games like “LuDingJI”,”GuYu”, “DaoJianYingXiong”, “JiuDingChuanShuo”,”DaHuaShuiHu”, “DongHaiQiTan”, “JianXian”, “MengShuiTang”, “ShengShiShanGuo”, “TianZhiRen”. In addition, multiple games like “ZhanDiFengYun OL” “TaoYuan” are under test.
We engage in the development, operation and licensing of online games, including MMOGs, which are interactive online games that may be played simultaneously by hundreds of thousands of game players, and Web-based games, which are played over the Internet using a Web browser. We also own and operate the 17173.com Website, the largest game information portals in China that has an experienced team with strong expertise in running the website and building a game community and developing relationships with advertisers in the online game industry.
We have a leading in-house technology platform that includes our advanced 2.5D and 3D graphics engine, a uniform game development platform, effective anti-fraud and anti-hacking technologies, proprietary cross-networking technology and advanced data protection technology. Our product development team and game operations team work closely together to translate game player feedback into game updates and expansion packs. Our close relationship with Sohu provides us with unique competitive advantages and we have benefited from Sohu’s strong brand recognition in China and it’s large user base and its quality advertisting resources. Sohu’s trusted brand name and resources in China provides us with a broad marketing reach. Cyou now has grown up as an individual large platform and its registered users of Cyou platform have reached 175.7 million according to the Q4 of 2011 annual report, with 117 million of concurrent users（PCU）and 317 million active account paying (APA).
Our award-winning, in-house developed game, Tian Long Ba Bu, or TLBB, has been instrumental in our success. Adapted from the popular Chinese martial arts novel of the same name, which in English means ʺNovel of Eight Demigods,ʺ TLBB is a 2.5D martial arts-style fighting and community-building MMORPG. TLBB has won various awards in China, including 2008 “Best Self-Developed Online Games (First Place)” and 2008 and 2009 “Most Favorite Online Games by Game Players (First Place)” awards at the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference, or ChinaJoy. Its expansion packs, TLBB2 and TLBB3, won the 2010 “Most Favorite Online Games by Game Players” award and the 2011 “Best Self-Developed Online Games” award, respectively, at ChinaJoy. To leverage the success of TLBB, we licensed the game to third-party operators overseas. TLBB is currently licensed to third-party operators in Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand. We also operate a modified version of TLBB in the U.S. and certain European countries. Tianlongbabu (TLBB) has published 23 big expansions within the five years after the open beta in May 2007, the peak of concurrent users have over 1 million in Q2 of 2011,which is a great performance in Chinese MMOG market
Our Web-based game DDTank was developed in-house by our VIE 7Road and is a popular Q-style multi-player Web-based shooting game in China that has won various game awards. Players use keyboards to control tanks to compete with others, using different weapons to produce different firing effects. Since DDTank’s launch, we have regularly developed new content and released new versions of the game. DDTank is currently licensed to third-party operators in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brazil. DDTank’s 2.4 version won the 2010 “Most Liked Web-based Games by Game Players” award at ChinaJoy.

Potential Business Models

CYOU is still analyzing potential use case options on the type of domain names that will be permitted to be registered and by whom. CYOU has done preliminary research based on existing .COM ⁄ .NET zone file and the total count of 2nd-level string of .COM ⁄ .NET containing the word “GAME” has exceeded 250,000 entries. This number offers a strong base for potential registrant pool. When searching for the term “GAME” on popular search engine such as Google, Bing, Baidu, the top results mostly are online or web-based games. Therefore the .GAME gTLD is a natural identity at the Internet Top-Level for game developers, aggregator, and players ⁄ users.

Having the above mentioned foundation in mind, the best current thinking of CYOU is to initially allow only a limited number of Eligiable Registrant (ER) to apply ⁄ register limited number of second level .GAME domain names. The initial period may be up to 3 years after the launch of .GAME gTLD．The definition of ER will be developed based on CYOU actual business needs with consultation and input from relevant game industry. CYOU itself can serve as an ER. This conservative approach can help build recognition of the TLD in an orderly and safe manner, and minimize potential technological, marketing and operational risks. Such approachissubject to change depending upon on a range of external factors, will be reviewed at the regular basis. A consultative process with ICANN and relevant stakeholder shall take place prior to determination of any change of this approach. Most likely, CYOU will not make any such determination until after the first three years of operation.

Similar gTLD applications: (1)