Century Horizon

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Century Horizon (世纪纵横)
Alias(es)	Century Horizon Technology Company; Century Horizon Network Technology Co., Ltd.; Century Horizon Group 36 63 95 108
Organization Type	Network technology company, later reorganized into a diversified internet and technology group 36 108 546
Founders	Chen Hao, Lin Lang, Xu Pengkun, and Pang Ban 577
Leader	Chen Hao — founding general manager and later group chairman 63 226
Founded	April 8, 2002 577
Initial Registered Capital	10 million yuan 36
Original Headquarters	Entire 22nd floor of China World Trade Center, Beijing 36
Principal Businesses	Online games, social networking, media, cybersecurity, server infrastructure, investment, consumer technology, and e-commerce 288 505 568
Corporate Vision and Mission	“Technology Saves the World, Innovation Leads the Globe!” 389 393
Status	Operating; its recorded history includes the acquisition of Blizzard in 2009 and partial acquisition of Shanda in 2010 577
First Appearance	Establishment in Chapter 36 36

History

Foundation and Miracle’s Launch

Chen Hao established Century Horizon in Beijing with a business scope covering software development, network engineering, hardware and software sales, advertising, internet game publishing, and telecommunications services. Its name expressed his ambition to dominate the new century. Alongside its China World Trade Center offices, he rented a Zhongguancun factory for a professional server room and contracted with EMC for ten sets of the latest blade servers 36.

The company began with four co-founders and no employees. On June 1, 2002, it acquired Webzen’s exclusive Chinese publishing rights for Miracle. Its first external recruitment drive, held on June 8–9, brought in 104 employees 577.

Chen Hao introduced performance-based assessments and a six-month probation period, with Miracle MU as the company’s first project. He personally reviewed its marketing plans and official website design 58. During closed beta, the game averaged 10,000 concurrent players; its August 8 open beta reached 200,000 concurrent players on the first day 65 577.

Expansion Beyond Game Publishing

Taoyoubao launched on September 15, 2002, as the country’s first online virtual-item trading platform 577. Century Horizon subsequently expanded through Century Investment’s complete acquisition of 17173, the establishment of Century Giant Hardware Services on November 23, and the launch of a medical relief platform at the end of November. Century Investment also acquired Phantom Forum for 3 million yuan 95.

The company transitioned to a group-based model in January 2003, when Century Interactive Entertainment was established 108 577. Miracle’s first expansion, Sky City, helped push concurrent players to a peak of 360,000 and registered accounts beyond ten million, making it the market leader 109.

After Blizzard initially dismissed Century Horizon’s proposal to publish World of Warcraft, Chen Hao placed greater emphasis on independently developed games. Xu Changlong was appointed to lead Tianxuan Game Studio and the Wuxia World OL project, while Wu Hanqing took responsibility for enterprise and consumer cybersecurity software 134.

Diversification and Overseas Operations

The group extended its gaming business into information websites, trading platforms, auxiliary tools, portals, social networks, and network security. Its offline operations included internet-café alliances, distribution through Junwang, investment activities, charity, and physical security 288.

YY launched in 2004, while Century Farm generated a nationwide “Steal Vegetables” craze 577. Century Horizon later transformed its leading social-networking website into Weibo.com, changing its name, domain, presentation, and positioning despite its existing success 400.

For overseas expansion, Chen Hao selected an independent operating model rather than relying solely on outside publishers. The group established branches internationally, including a North American office in Silicon Valley and a London office. Duan Jianye was entrusted with North American operations and instructed to coordinate with the other overseas offices 377 378 380.

Strategic Restructuring

As the group grew beyond 5,000 employees, Chen Hao formalized its corporate mission and increased recruitment for both Century Horizon and Orange Technology 389 390. Its “Far Ahead” three-year strategy sought internet-industry leadership by stabilizing gaming revenue, developing offline channels, and building an ecosystem that included a proprietary mobile operating system 469.

Chen Hao subsequently streamlined the group’s businesses and established Century YY Technology, separating YY’s social and instant-messaging functions from YY Live’s audio and video streaming operations 534 535.

On March 2, Century Horizon Group 2.0 launched with eight business groups and a rotating CEO system featuring four initial candidates. The reorganization followed repeated consultation with executives and corporate management specialists and affected operations throughout the group 546.

Major Acquisitions and Later Financing

Century Horizon acquired Blizzard after negotiations involving Vivendi and competing bidder Activision. The acquired company was unveiled as Century Blizzard on March 26, with Mike Morhaime retaining responsibility for game production and Century personnel taking charge of operations, promotion, and partnerships 555 556 557.

The group later opened selected subsidiaries to outside investment, including Century Interactive Entertainment, Juzi Technology, Century Weibo, YY, and Century Net. The offer provided investment returns and dividends without an IPO or transfer of control rights 572. Its historical exhibition subsequently recorded a partial acquisition of Shanda in 2010 577.

Organization and Leadership

Key Personnel

Person	Documented Responsibilities
Chen Hao	Founder, general manager, and later chairman; sets group strategy and directs major reorganizations 63 226 546.
Xu Pengkun	Investment, charity, and part of the interactive-entertainment business; later president of the Strategic Development Business Group 347 546.
Lin Lang	Server hardware, server-room expansion, and Century Giant Microsoft 94 347 382.
Pang Ban	Physical security, covert investigations, and internal risk management; later president of the Social Supervision Business Group 347 361 546.
Lin Xiaoran	Chen Hao’s assistant; provides administrative coordination and participates in group management arrangements 62 126 347.
Li Fang	Marketing and public relations; leads Century Vientiane and later the Channel Media Business Group 89 361 546.
Zhou Xiao	Game operations, update planning, overseas coordination, and the proposed Century Game Center 89 117 380 470.
Lu Tao	Technical leadership for Miracle, including the Sky City expansion 109.
Wu Hanqing	Cybersecurity software and technical defense; entrusted with leading the Zodiac Twelve Palaces 126 134 199.
Dr. Wang Jian	President of the Century Institute of Science and later head of the Innovation Science Business Group 505 546.
Duan Jianye	North American operations; later appointed to help manage Century Blizzard 380 557.
Zhang Xiaolong	CEO of Century YY Technology and president of the YY Business Group 534 546.

Century Horizon Group 2.0

The reorganization established eight business groups. Five are named and described in the supplied passages 546.

Business Group	President	Responsibilities and Affiliated Organizations
Strategic Development	Xu Pengkun	New-business incubation and investment strategy; Century Investment 546.
YY	Zhang Xiaolong	YY ecosystem, including YY, YY Live, and Y Message 546.
Innovation Science	Dr. Wang Jian	Operating systems, chips, big data, machine learning, cloud computing, and other advanced research; Century Science Research Institute 546.
Channel Media	Li Fang	Publicity, promotion, public relations, and related operations; Century Media and Century Horizon 546.
Social Supervision	Pang Ban	Internal integrity oversight involving finance, HR, and legal functions, alongside charitable operations; Century Security, Century Jian, and the former Special Crimes Unit Six 546.

Businesses and Products

Online Games and Esports

Game or Initiative	Role and Significance
Miracle / Miracle MU	Foundational hit published through an exclusive agreement with Webzen. Its Sky City expansion helped establish market leadership 109 577.
Ragnarok Online and Crazy Arcade	Publishing rights secured during Chen Hao’s Korean business trip; later cross-promoted with Miracle 95 147.
Legend of Mir 3	Operated by Century Interactive Entertainment; received the Noma Revival expansion and was later made free-to-play 199 206.
Three Kingdoms OL	Strategy game whose success substantially increased the gaming division’s revenue 177.
Wuxia World OL	Self-developed MMORPG led by Xu Changlong’s Tianxuan Studio, featuring sect-based classes, lightness skills, cooperative instances, and an open-world map 134 275.
World of Warcraft	Initially pursued as a licensed title. Disputes with Blizzard led to a delayed launch and severed ties before the later Blizzard acquisition 293 298 310 556.
Audition and KartRider	Identified as hit titles within the group’s gaming base 346.
Honor of Heroes and Alliance of Gods	Introduced ranked matches and battle passes. Each surpassed three million players, received Li Xiaofeng’s endorsement, and supported an eight-team professional league 497 505.
Century Game Center (CGC)	Proposed PC online-game platform intended to form a unified ecosystem; Zhou Xiao received a one-year development target 470.
Century Esports Development Co., Ltd.	Established to support the development of China’s esports industry 389.

• Miracle’s expansion strategy added maps, equipment, enhancement levels, reincarnation, mounts, castle sieges, and job advancement 90 109 147.
• The King of Miracles Championship and server-wide competitions combined competitive events with expansion announcements and cross-game promotions 144 147.
• Gaming remained a major source of funding for entry into new industries; Chen Hao explicitly treated it as the group’s existing cash-generating base 346.
• Later development plans emphasized seasonal resets, ranking systems, battle passes, and rewards adapted to each game rather than copied unchanged 469 470.

Platforms, Media, and Commerce

Business or Platform	Function
Taoyoubao	Virtual-item trading platform; expanded into point-card trading and additional transaction models 89 109 577.
17173 and 5173	Acquired gaming information and trading businesses integrated with Taoyoubao 95 109.
Century Friendship Net / Century Weibo	Social-networking business built around features such as farming games and friend trading; later overhauled into Weibo.com 268 278 400.
YY and YY Live	Social communication and live-streaming businesses, later separated into distinct units under Century YY Technology 534.
Century Net	Portal and news operation, including coverage of the Summer Olympics 258.
Century Media and Century Vientiane	Publicity, media, crisis public relations, and relationship facilitation 361 546.
Century Pictures	Film-investment business whose successful projects attracted outside industry interest 288.
Juzi Technology	Consumer-technology business associated with phones, an app store, and the oPhone product line 459 505.
Jingxi Century Trading	Social e-commerce company promoting shared purchasing and lower product prices 568.

Infrastructure and Research

• Server services: Century Giant Hardware Services developed professional server-room and network services for internet companies, expanding facilities across major cities 94 95 109.
• Commercial server supply: Century Giant Microsoft offered game companies same-day server installation and launch, selling servers at a 30% markup 382.
• Cybersecurity products: The group developed NetShield, Century Security Guard, Century Computer Butler, and Century Security Browser 144 261 505.
• Research investment: The group reported more than 10 billion yuan in cumulative technology R&D spending and nearly one thousand technical specialists 505.
• Research fields: Its institute worked on search engines, AI, cloud computing, big data, game engines, machine learning, streaming technology, operating systems, and chip manufacturing 505.
• Research management: After observing the institute’s first two months, Chen Hao delegated authority to Wang Jian and provided researchers with substantial funding and technical freedom 505.

Financing and Investments

Transaction or Policy	Terms and Outcome
Shanda investment proposal	Chen Tianqiao offered 300 million yuan for 49% of Century Horizon, payable over three years. Chen Hao refused 92.
IDG proposal for Century Interactive Entertainment	Offered US$200 million for a 30% stake; rejected to preserve independence 155.
Initial financing stance	Chen Hao opposed financing and listing that could introduce shareholder interference or threaten control 156.
IDG subsidiary investment	Subsequent negotiations produced an investment plan involving Century Security, Century Media, and Century Taoyoubao 202.
Alibaba investment	Century Investment contributed US$250 million to a financing round for a 10% stake 382.
Tencent investment	Century Horizon accumulated 7.4% of Tencent’s shares after its IPO 382.
Later financing window	Selected subsidiaries accepted outside investment for dividends, without listing or control rights 572.

• At one stage, Century Horizon Group’s estimated valuation equaled the combined valuations of Alibaba and Tencent 497.
• Its later financing window attracted major capital firms despite restrictions on control and listing 572.

Corporate Culture and Recruitment

Compensation and Employee Welfare

• Performance-based advancement: Early employees faced a six-month probation period and assessments based on results 58.
• Free meals: Chen Hao ordered a cafeteria providing free breakfast, lunch, and dinner 79.
• Benefits package: Two-day weekends, overtime pay, holiday and year-end bonuses, meal subsidies, shuttle buses, and free dormitories distinguished the company’s employment conditions 379.
• Holiday compensation: Employees working during the Spring Festival were offered seven days of triple pay 117.
• Stock options: The group’s incentive program generated strong employee interest and reinforced retention 392 393.
• Housing affordability: Later narration states that employees with at least three years at Century Horizon could afford a home in Beijing 536.
• Departing employees: Chen Hao hosted a farewell dinner, thanked former employees, and welcomed them back if their plans failed. He later proposed annual gatherings for the “Century Series” alumni network 484 486.

Talent Development and Internal Controls

• Elite Recruitment: After a poaching crisis, the group advertised high compensation without a formal education requirement, prioritizing substantial contributions in fields such as mathematics, physics, and computer science 356.
• Century University / Academy: Established to train new hires, advanced technical staff, and managers; academy applications required top-10% OKR performance 361 362.
• Talent Program: Recruitment eliminated 99.3% of applicants. Final interviews used a five-person voting panel 362.
• First program intake: Five of nine participants advanced, filling roles in company secretarial work, game-engine research, operating-system development, and product management 367.
• Loyalty requirements: Chen Hao emphasized loyalty for staff with core information and required backups for every position to prevent operational dependence on irreplaceable individuals 177.
• Background screening: Pang Ban’s Security and Risk Management Department was formed privately to investigate employees and assess risks 361.

Rivalries and Major Conflicts

Shanda

Chen Hao’s rejection of Shanda’s investment offer was followed by direct competition through Legendary World and Crazy Tank. Shanda also pursued action against private servers, including Greedy Blue Moon; Century Horizon publicly opposed gambling, drugs, cheats, and private servers 92.

Public anger over Shanda’s handling of mob-beating reports drove players toward Miracle. Century Horizon exploited the opening with a market-share offensive, the Sky City expansion, and a promotion granting a free blessing gem with game-card purchases worth at least 30 yuan 107 108. Its later company timeline records a partial acquisition of Shanda in 2010 577.

Antivirus Alliance and Network Attacks

Rising, Jiangmin, Kaspersky’s Chinese operation, and Kingsoft coordinated against Century Security Guard. Their representatives also approached other internet-company leaders in an effort to challenge the wider group 258.

During simultaneous pressure on gaming, hardware, security, and social networking, Chen Hao established a Combat Command Center. He prioritized gaming infrastructure, redirected cybersecurity personnel to support network defense, and used NetShield and link-verification filtering to counter attacks. The Zodiac Twelve Palaces planted tracking mechanisms before the three-day confrontation temporarily ended 260 261.

The group won the September confrontation, but projects including the World Tour Accelerator, GameShield Defense Firmware, and Traffic YY Plan were delayed 269.

Talent Poaching

Reports described more than a dozen managers and hundreds of employees leaving for competitors. Tencent alone recruited three managers and over twenty ordinary employees from group subsidiaries 356.

Former Miracle operations supervisor Xiang Qian brought Century’s working methods to Sina LeGu. His comprehensive Lineage II development report impressed Wang Yan, although Wang rejected proposals involving Century products out of concern about possible sabotage 353.

Tencent and the 4Q War

Tencent assembled a coalition that directly targeted Century Horizon Group, drawing on grievances from game competitors and traditional antivirus vendors 511.

On June 24, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ordered both companies to apologize, restore compatibility and normal software use, and cooperate with investigations. Century Horizon received a 100 million yuan administrative fine, while Tencent withdrew its lawsuit 516.

Blizzard and Activision

Disagreements over Wuxia World and Blizzard’s demands damaged the World of Warcraft publishing relationship. Century delayed the launch, shifted resources toward Wuxia World, and eventually severed ties with Blizzard 293 296 298 310.

During the later acquisition contest, Century combined negotiations with public-opinion campaigns, Activision share purchases, and a global free month for Wuxia World. Activision withdrew its Blizzard bid after reaching a cooperation agreement with Century, weakening Vivendi’s bargaining position 552 555.

Century’s financial maneuvers produced profits of several hundred million yuan. Following the acquisition, Blizzard handled production while Century handled sales and related operations 556 557.

Charity and Public Responsibilities

• Medical relief: Century Horizon launched a platform assisting families facing terminal illness and financial hardship, alongside the Century Ji’an Medical Relief Fund 94 95.
• Schools: The Century Jian Charity Foundation’s “Hundred Hope Primary Schools Plan” included a school-opening ceremony attended by Chen Hao 382.
• Public engagement: Chen Hao and his team held an audience Q&A covering games, charity, and company plans; he reaffirmed his intention to use the group’s growth to help more people 194.
• National cybersecurity: The Zodiac Twelve Palaces assisted in defending against major network attacks, after which Chen Hao proposed cooperation with the Cyberspace Administration of China 472.
• Overseas cultural mission: Chen Hao’s open letter linked international expansion with promoting Chinese culture, motivating employees and generating favorable online attention 379.

Facilities

Facility	Documented Details
Original offices	Entire 22nd floor of China World Trade Center, Beijing 36.
Initial server room	Built in a rented Zhongguancun factory, with ten sets of EMC blade servers 36.
New headquarters	Topped out during the group’s expansion; its remote location attracted media and industry discussion 269.
Xibeiwang holdings	A September 11 land agreement secured the remaining Phase II plots except the site reserved for Lenovo; the group contributed more than one billion yuan in annual district taxes 493.
North American branch	Located in Santa Clara Valley, Silicon Valley 378.
Historical exhibition hall	Occupied floors 17, 22, and 23 of China World Trade Center Phase II, displaying the group’s development through photographs, videos, and timelines 577.

Trivia

• Online workplace discussions dubbed the prestige of employment at the group the “Century work badge legend” 351.
• The “Century Effect” described the industry-wide reactions and competing releases triggered by Century Interactive Entertainment’s games 497.
• The group’s historical exhibition preserved a photograph of its four founders outside China World Trade Center before it had any employees 577.
• Chen Hao and Lin Xiaoran modeled for Miracle’s time-card artwork to avoid celebrity fees, using masks and veils to limit public recognition 65.