Seattle-based developer Z2Live has announced a strategic publishing partnership with CocoaChina in order to bring its portfolio of games to the Chinese mobile market.

CocoaChina will help Z2Live adapt its catalogue to better suit the Chinese market, assisting with game design and monetisation mechanics, as well as the practicalities of distribution and piracy prevention.

"After meeting and evaluating several potential partnerships in the Chinese market, we selected CocoaChina because of its market knowledge, dedication to mobile gaming, operational expertise and down-to-earth attitude," explained Z2Live CEO Lou Fasulo.

"We expect this to be a long-term, and very fruitful, partnership."

Market entry

The Chinese market is, of course, a potentially lucrative one, but it's also complex.

For instance, CocoaChina published Punchbox 's Fishing Joy 2 in the region, and the title generated $1.6 million a month. So, what was the key to its success? According to CocoaChina, it's down to the fact that Fishing Joy 2 was distributed through more than 200 third-party Android marketplaces.

Furthermore, it's clear that adapting western games for Asian markets requires more than a quick translation. As such, it stands to reason that western developers are increasingly partnering with local specialists such as Yodo1 and CocoaChina to bring their games to East Asia.

"Z2Live is known for its creativity and ability to create console quality multiplayer games for mobile devices," explained CocoaChina/Chukong CEO Haozhi Chen.

"We are extremely honoured to become their partner in China and look forward to bringing their games to Chinese players."