Perfect World Acquires Majority Stake In Torchlight's Runic

Just after Runic Games' Torchlight revealed it had sold 500,000 units in six months, the game's publisher, Perfect World, has bought an $8.4 million majority stake in the developer. The details come from Perfect World's first quarter financial results, where it said the strategic investment in Runic is geared at strengthening its R&D capabilities. "By collaborating more closely with Runic’s professional team, we seek to combine their creativity and expertise in game development with our deep understanding of the online game market to create global titles," says the company in a statement. On Runic's official website, the company says it's currently working on a new MMORPG in the Torchlight world, with Perfect World to publish. Perfect World is a Beijing-headquartered company that publishes a variety of MMORPGs, including Battle of the Immortals and the eponymous Perfect World. The company has operated a U.S. office, Perfect World Entertainment, since June 2008.