Cyberport Games Marathon to promote healthy gaming in Hong Kong
17 - 06 - 2005

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited:

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited are co-organising the first "Cyberport Games Marathon" during the weekends of July 1-3 and 9-10 to introduce electronic games developed by Hong Kong companies to the general public and to promote a positive and healthy gaming culture in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Cyberport is also proud to announce its strategic partnership with China Interactive Sports (HK) Technology Company Limited to stage the Hong Kong preliminaries of the China Esport Games (CEG) on July 1-3 at the "Cyberport Games Marathon". Top-notch local gamers will represent Hong Kong to compete against professional Mainland gamers from the CEG for the CGM Cyberport Cup.

China Interactive Sports (HK) Technology Company Limited is a joint venture between Hong Kong's CITIC Pacific Ltd and All-China Sports Federation and Chinese Olympic Committee. The Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee and Executive Chairman of China Interactive Sports (HK) Technology Company Limited, Mrs He Huixian, said at the ceremony-cum-press briefing today, "The China Esport Games (CEG) is the official e-sports competition organised by the All-China Sports Federation. E-sport has been officially declared as the 99th sports category in China by General Administration of Sport of China, and the CEG is the most professional electronic gaming competition in China."

Mrs He added, "The Hong Kong preliminaries of CEG at the "Cyberport Games Marathon" will be the first gaming competition organised in Hong Kong under the partnership of China Esport Games and Hong Kong Cyberport. Local participants will be selected to represent Hong Kong to compete with top mainland gamers. We believe the contest and exchange will help to raise the standard of e-sport in both places."

E-sports has grown to tremendous popularity nationwide. China now has the largest population of e-sport gamers in the world. In 2005, the games-related expenditure of Chinese online gamers was about US$240 million. The annual online game subscription revenue in China is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2008.

Like the Cyber-athlete Professional League in the US, the World Cyber Games of South Korea, and the Electronic Sports World Cup in France, CEG has developed into a league-based competition. E-sport will be one of the Designated Sports in the 2nd Asian Indoor Games to be held in Macau in 2007.

The strategic partnership between China Interactive Sports (HK) Technology Company and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited will not only broaden the application of information and telecommunications technologies in sports and related activities, but also foster the growth and development of the gaming industry in both Hong Kong and the Mainland.

The "Cyberport Games Marathon" will last for two weekends. Activities on July 1¡V3 include the "CGM China-Hong Kong Challenge", "Gamers Training Session", "Interactive & Computer Arts Gallery", "IiTEC2005 Prize Presentation and Exhibition", "w-inds.ageha Video Concert", "Teen Power Games Challenge" and the star-studded "Teen Power 11 Waves Cyber Live Concert".

On July 9-10, the "Cyberport Games Marathon" will showcase the creativity of the local electronic games industry. Highlights include the "Hong Kong Games Expo", "Hong Kong Games Trials & Demonstrations", "Parent-Child Online Challenge", "CosPlay Costume Show & Competition" and "RTHK mini concert". Hong Kong Digital Media Ambassador, Mr Leo Ku, will be the guest-of-honour of the opening ceremony of the "Hong Kong Games Expo" on July 9 at the Arcade of Cyberport. A number of Hong Kong canto-pop stars and Web J will also appear in the "Hong Kong Games Trials and Demonstrations".

Admission to the "Cyberport Games Marathon" is free and open to the general public.

Moreover, every attendee of the "Cyberport Games Marathon" will be entered into a Grand Prize Draw automatically. The lucky winners will enjoy a spectacular helicopter ride over the Cyberport.

Details of the events are as follows:

Date: July 1-3 and 9- 10, 2005
Venue: Cyberport
Admission: Free
Transport: Free shuttle-bus service via Admiralty to the Cyberport will be arranged (bus service runs every five minutes daily on July 1-3 and 9-10); complimentary ferry shuttle service via Central Pier No 5 to the Cyberport (twice daily on July 1-3 only)
Website: http://games.cyberport.hk

About Hong Kong Cyberport (www.cyberport.hk)

Cyberport - Hong Kong's IT Flagship - is a US$2 billion ($15.8 billion) landmark project managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited and wholly owned by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The project is being developed on a 24-hectare site at Telegraph Bay in the southern district of Hong Kong Island. It comprises four office buildings, a five-star hotel - Le Meridien Cyberport - a retail entertainment complex - The Arcade - and a deluxe residential development, aimed at creating an interactive environment that will be home to a strategic cluster of about 100 IT companies and 10,000 IT professionals. The project is being completed in phases from mid-2002 to 2008.

- END -