Toymaker Lego Group is partnering with Tencent, one of China's top Internet firms, to develop online games for children, it was announced Monday.
玩具制造商乐高集团将与中国顶级互联网企业腾讯合作开发儿童在线游戏。
Lego said in a press release that the two companies would
collaborate1 across a broad range of digital content and digital platforms for Chinese children. The
partnership2 includes the development of a Lego video zone for children on the Tencent video platform and operation of Lego-branded
licensed3 games.
Lego is a
privately4 held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, known for toys. But rising competition from digital alternatives have taken a
toll5 on the company. In September, Lego reported its first global sales drop in over a decade and cut 8 percent of its staff.
In addition to owning WeChat, China's most popular messaging app which boasts nearly a billion users, Tencent is China's leading player in videos games development, with strategic investments in overseas mobile game
makers6.
"Faced with the tendency of lower age in internet users, the cooperation between the Lego Group and Tencent can
leverage7 technological8 and
innovative9 means to build a healthy online environment for children," Anna Gao,
vice10 president of Tencent Games said.