NetEase Games Announces New US Studio

NetEase Games, the online games division of Chinese tech giant NetEase, on July 18 announced Jar of Sparks, a new first-party studio that will enjoy full creative freedom within the corporate network.

Based in Seattle, United States, and looking to recruit globally, Jar of Sparks has a team of creators with a desire to build brand new franchises, with all new characters, stories, and worlds, to inspire the imaginations of players all over the world.

Jar of Sparks is led by Jerry Hook, the former Head of Design on Halo Infinite, and has a team of industry veterans who have worked on some of the biggest franchises in video game history.

Hook helped launch the original Xbox and is also a founding member of Xbox Live. He has held executive roles across multiple disciplines for the Halo and Destiny franchises, most recently as Head of Design for Halo Infinite.

The game sector is still the core income pillar for NetEase. In the first quarter of 2022, the firm’s net revenue from online game services reached 17.3 billion yuan ($2.56 billion), up 15.3% year-on-year, accounting for 73% of the total revenue.

“We attach great importance to the development of overseas markets and games,” William Ding, CEO and director of NetEase, said during a conference call after the release of a financial report. “At present, the overseas market revenue of NetEase Games accounts for more than 10%, and it is planned to expand the proportion of overseas markets in NetEase Games to 40%-50% in the future.”

Ding also expressed the hope that in the next three or four years, the revenue structure of the game business and the number of games in China and abroad will reach a more reasonable proportion.

SEE ALSO: China Releases July List of Newly Approved Domestic Games

Finally, Ding showed great confidence in the expansion of overseas markets. “There are obvious differences in different countries in terms of user groups, terminals and game themes, but these differences will not be a huge challenge. NetEase has the ability to meet the game needs of users in different regions in a short time.”