Selected Consolidated Financial Data

The following table presents the selected consolidated financial information for our company. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data for the three years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008 and our consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 have been derived from audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this report. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” below. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our historical results do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future periods.

As the 17173 Business and Changyou were under common control by Sohu both before and after our acquisition of the 17173 Business on December 15, 2011, the consolidated financial data presented below have been prepared as if we had owned the assets of and operated the 17173 Business throughout the periods presented, and the consolidated financial data for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 have been restated accordingly. The consolidated financial data set forth below as of and for each of the years presented may not necessarily reflect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows we would have experienced with respect to the 17173 Business if we had owned and operated it throughout those years.

Prior to Sohu’s transfer to us, effective December 1, 2007, of all of the assets and liabilities of Sohu’s MMORPG business unit, the operations of our MMORPGs were carried out by various companies owned or controlled by Sohu.com Inc. Our selected financial statement data set forth below as of December 31, 2007 and for the year then ended have been prepared as if we had been a separate, stand-alone entity throughout that year. Accordingly, our consolidated statement of comprehensive income data for the year ended December 31, 2007 and our consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2007 set forth below include assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and statements of shareholders’ equity that were directly attributable to our MMORPG business whether held or incurred by Sohu or by Changyou. In cases involving assets and liabilities not specifically identifiable to any particular operation of Sohu, only those assets and liabilities transferred to Changyou are included in our consolidated balance sheet data. With respect to costs of operations of the MMORPG business, an allocation of certain general corporate expenses of Sohu which were not directly related to the MMORPG operations and an allocation of certain advertising and other expenses provided by Sohu to Changyou were also included. These allocations were based on a variety of factors depending upon the nature of the expenses being allocated, including revenue, the number of employees and the number of servers. Our statement of comprehensive income data for the year ended December 31, 2007 also include sales and marketing expenses and other costs charged by Sohu. The transactions were measured at the amount of consideration established and agreed to by the related parties.

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Our management believes that the assumptions underlying our financial statement data, and the allocations described above, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2007 are reasonable. Such financial statement data as of and for that year, however, may not necessarily reflect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows as if we had operated as a stand-alone company prior to December 1, 2007.

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Risk Factors

Risks Relating to Our Business and Our Industry

Our limited operating history makes evaluating our business and prospects difficult.

We were incorporated on August 6, 2007 in the Cayman Islands as an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sohu.com Inc. On December 1, 2007, Sohu transferred all of its MMORPG business to us. We launched three MMORPGs when we were still a business unit of the Sohu Group, including Knight Online, or KO, in June 2003, BO in October 2004 and TLBB in May 2007, of which KO and BO are licensed games. We terminated the operation of KO in November 2006 when its license expired. TLBB, which we developed in-house, generated a substantial majority of our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2007 to 2011. In January 2011, we completed the acquisition of 100% equity interests in each of Shanghai Jingmao Culture Communication Co., Ltd, or Shanghai Jingmao, and Shanghai Hejin Data Consulting Co., Ltd, or Shanghai Hejin, which primarily engage in the cinema advertising business. On May 11, 2011, we completed the acquisition of 68.258% of the equity interests in Shenzhen 7Road Technology Co., Ltd., or 7Road, a Web-based game company in China, to diversify our business and establish us as one of the leading players in the rapidly expanding Web-based game market in China. On December 15, 2011, we completed the acquisition of the 17173 Business from Sohu. Our limited operating history in the MMOG business and in the newly acquired cinema advertising business, Web-based game business and 17173 Business may not provide a meaningful basis for you to evaluate our business and prospects. Furthermore, as we were a business unit within the Sohu Group prior to our reorganization, our operating history as a separate, stand-alone company is relatively short. Our business strategy has not been proven over time and we cannot be certain that we will be able to successfully expand our MMOG business, Web-based game business, 17173 Business and cinema advertising business.

You should also consider additional risks and uncertainties that may be experienced by early stage companies operating in a rapidly developing and evolving industry. Some of these risks and uncertainties relate to our ability to:

We may not be successful in addressing the risks listed above, which may materially and adversely affect our business prospects.

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We are not likely to sustain our recent growth rate.

Our revenues have grown significantly in a relatively short period of time. Primarily due to the commercial success of TLBB, our revenues, as restated for 2009 and 2010 to reflect our acquisition of the 17173 Business, grew from $288.2   million for the year ended December 31, 2009 to $354.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2010, and $484.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2011, with the increase in 2011 also being affected by our addition of the game DDTank through our acquisition of a majority interest in 7Road. Our net income attributable to Changyou.com Limited grew from $162.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2009, to $194.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 and $245.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. We are not likely to sustain similar rates of growth in revenues or income in future periods due to a number of factors, including, among others, the greater difficulty of growing at sustained rates from a larger revenue base, the uncertain level of popularity of our future games, the potential need to expend greater amounts in order to develop or acquire new games, technologies, assets and businesses, and uncertainty as to our ability to integrate such newly acquired games, technologies, assets and businesses. In particular, we expect to experience increases in our costs and expenses as we expand our business domestically and internationally and increase our investment in MMOGs as well as Web-based, mobile and social networking games in order to adapt to industry trends and an evolving market environment. Accordingly, you should not rely on the results of any prior period as an indication of our future financial and operating performance.

We may be adversely affected by the recent global crisis in the financial services and credit markets and European debt crisis .

We rely on the spending of our game players for our revenues, which may in turn depend on the players’ level of disposable income, perceived future earnings capabilities and willingness to spend. Following our acquisition of the 17173 Business from Sohu, we began generating revenues from providing online advertising services provided to advertising clients on the 17173.com Website. Expenditures by advertising clients tend to be cyclical, reflecting overall economic conditions and budgeting and buying patterns. The growth of China’s economy experienced a slowdown after the second quarter of 2007, when the quarterly growth rate of China’s gross domestic product reached 11.9%, slowing to as low as 6.2% for the first quarter of 2009. A number of factors contributed to this slowdown, including appreciation of the RMB, which adversely affected China’s exports, and tightening macroeconomic measures and monetary policies adopted by the PRC government aimed at preventing overheating of China’s economy and controlling China’s high level of inflation. The slowdown was further exacerbated by the global crisis in the financial services and credit markets that began in 2008 and the on-going European debt crisis, which have resulted and might continue to result in extreme volatility and dislocation of the global capital markets. Although the growth rate of China’s gross domestic product accelerated and reached 11.9% in the first quarter of 2010, the growth rate has since slowed down to 9.6% in the third quarter of 2010 and 9.1% in the third quarter of 2011. It is uncertain whether China’s current economic growth is sustainable and whether the slower growth that China’s economy experienced in 2008 and 2009 could return in the near future.

In addition, it is uncertain how long the global crisis in the financial services and credit markets and the European debt crisis will continue and how much adverse impact it will continue to have on the global economy in general and the economies in China and other jurisdictions where we license or operate our games and operate the 17173 Business. If our game players reduce their spending on playing MMOGs and Web-based games or our advertising clients reduce the amounts they spend on advertising on the 17173.com Website due to such uncertain economic conditions, our revenues and business may be adversely affected.

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We currently depend on TLBB for a substantial majority of our revenues. Any decrease in TLBB’s popularity may materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

We currently rely on our in-house developed MMORPG, TLBB, for a substantial majority of our revenues. We launched TLBB in May 2007, and we cannot guarantee how long TLBB will continue to sustain its current level of popularity. To prolong this game’s lifespan, we need to continually improve and update it on a timely basis with new features that appeal to existing game players and attract new game players, and to market these new features. Despite our efforts to improve TLBB, our game players may nevertheless lose interest in the game over time. See “—We may not be successful in operating and improving our games to satisfy the changing demands of game players.” If we fail to improve and update TLBB on a timely basis, or if our competitors introduce more popular games catering to our game player base, which could include games adapted from other novels written by Louis Cha, TLBB may lose its popularity, which could materially decrease our revenues.

Furthermore, if there are any interruptions in TLBB’s operations due to unexpected server interruptions, network failures or other factors, game players may be prevented or deterred from making purchases of virtual items, which may also result in significant decreases in our revenues.

We are party to an agreement with Sohu that limits our ability to enter certain businesses.

We are a party to an Amended and Restated Non-Competition Agreement with Sohu which prohibits us, during the non-competition period, from engaging in certain businesses that Sohu conducted or contemplated conducting as of April 1, 2009, not including the MMORPG business and the 17173 Business. See “Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions” in Item 7 of this annual report. As a result, during such non-competition period, we will not be able to diversify our business into online portal, search, mobile value-added services and other businesses, other than the MMORPG business and the 17173 Business, that Sohu was conducting, or contemplated conducting, as of that date, even if such businesses present growth opportunities for us. In addition, the Amended and Restated Non-Competition Agreement does not prohibit Sohu from engaging in the development and operation of online games other than MMORPGs, even during the non-competition period. Any online games (other than MMORPGs) that we develop and operate that are not prohibited under the Amended and Restated Non-Competition Agreement, may face competition from other online games, including those developed and/or operated by Sohu.

We may not be successful in operating and improving our games to satisfy the changing demands of game players.

We depend on purchase and continual consumption of virtual items by our game players to generate revenues, which in turn depend on the continued attractiveness of our games to the game players and their satisfactory game-playing experience. We provide support for our games and collect game players’ feedback on their game-playing experience in order to resolve any programming flaws or other game operational issues in a timely manner. We also use software and systems to monitor game players’ preferences in order to develop and improve game features and virtual items in a way that is attractive to our game players. We continue to improve our games through regular updates as well as periodic major enhancements using expansion packs. However, we cannot assure you that our efforts will be effective in eliminating program errors associated with our games, satisfying game player demands, or retaining the continued attractiveness of our games. For example:

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Our failure to address the above-mentioned issues could adversely affect the game-playing experience of our game players, damage the reputation of our games, shorten the lifespan of our games, and eventually result in the loss of game players and a decrease in our revenues.

Furthermore, for the games that we license from third parties, we may not have access to the game source codes during the initial period of the license or at all. Without the source codes, we have to rely on the licensors to provide updates and enhancements during the initial period, giving us less control over the quality and timeliness of updates and enhancements. If our game players are not satisfied with the level of services they receive, they may choose to not play the games, leading to a decrease in our revenues.

We may fail to launch new games according to our timetable, and our new games may not be commercially successful, or may attract game players away from our existing games.

We must introduce new games that can generate additional revenue and diversify our revenue source in order to remain competitive. We have several games in the pipeline, including Tao Yuan, Battlefield Online, Shen Qu and others. We expect to begin open beta testing of Tao Yuan, Battlefield Online and Shen Qu in 2012. We are developing Tao Yuan and Shen Qu in-house and we have licensed Battlefield Online from a third-party developer. We will not generate any meaningful revenue from a game until it enters open beta testing. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to meet our timetable for new game launches. A number of factors, including technical difficulties, lack of sufficient game development personnel and other resources, relevant authorities’ approvals and adverse developments in our relationship with the licensors of our new licensed games could result in delayed launching of our new games. In addition, we cannot assure you that our new games will be as well received in the market as TLBB and DDTank, and you should not use TLBB and DDTank as indications of the commercial success of our future games. There are many factors that may adversely affect the popularity of our new games. For example, we may fail to anticipate and adapt to future technical trends, new business models and changed game player preferences and requirements, fail to effectively plan and organize marketing and promotion activities, or fail to differentiate our new games from our existing games. If the new games we introduce are not commercially successful, we may not be able to recover our product development costs and sales and marketing expenses, which can be significant.

In addition, our new games may attract game players away from our existing games. For example, with our increasingly diversified game portfolio, we cannot assure you that our TLBB and DDTank game players will not be attracted to play other newly launched games instead of TLBB and DDTank. If this occurred, it would decrease our existing games’ player bases, which could in turn make these games less attractive to other game players, resulting in decreased revenues from our existing games. Game players of our existing games may also spend less money to purchase virtual items in our new games than they would have spent if they had continued playing our existing games, which could materially and adversely affect our total revenues.

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Our business may not succeed in a highly competitive market.

Competition in the online game market in China is becoming increasingly intense. There were four online game companies, Perfect World Co., Ltd., Giant Interactive Group Inc., NetDragon Websoft Inc., Kingsoft Corporation Limited., that successfully listed their shares on NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange or the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the second half of 2007 alone, adding to the previously listed public companies focusing on the online game market in China, such as NetEase.com, Inc., Tencent Holdings Limited and The9 Limited, most of which focus on MMOGs. In September 2009, Shanda Games Limited, which engages in the online game business, was carved out from Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited and completed an initial public offering on NASDAQ. In 2010, Shenzhen ZQGame Co., Limited listed its shares on the Growth Enterprises Market board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in the PRC, becoming the first China-based online game company listed domestically in China. In June, 2011, Taomee Holdings Limited, which focuses on the online game market in China, completed an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, adding another U.S.-listed competitor to us. Moreover, there are many venture-backed private companies focusing on online game development, and MMOG development in particular, further intensifying the competition. Recently, many of our competitors have been aggressively hiring talent for game development, increasing spending on marketing for games, bidding for licenses of games and penetrating into the Web-based game industry. We have also observed that there are some online games operated in China that include similar elements of design and game concepts to those of TLBB, which could have an adverse effect on maintaining the existing user base and the potential for increases in the number of players of TLBB. Increased competition in the online game market may make it difficult for us to retain our existing employees and attract new employees, and to sustain our growth rate. Furthermore, we also face intense competition for cost-effective marketing resources for online games, such as online game-related Websites, which could drive up our marketing costs and decrease the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

On December 15, 2011, we completed the acquisition from Sohu of certain assets of the 17173 Business, which derives revenue primarily from providing advertising services to advertisers on the 17173.com Website. Competition for advertising business targeting online game players is intense and is expected to increase significantly in the future. We compete with other game information portals, such as duowan.com, operated by Guangzhou Hua Duo Network Technology Co., Ltd., and game.qq.com, operated by Tencent Holdings Ltd., and other Internet portals, which have, or may over time be able to build, competitive advantages over us in terms of:

If we are unable to enhance our brand recognition, provide quality products and services and meet other difficult technological and business challenges, then our users and advertising clients may become dissatisfied and move to a competitor’s portal for products and services , our user base may decrease and our ability to generate advertising revenues on our 17173.com Website may decline as a result.

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In the PRC’s competitive market, we must continue to spend significant resources in research and development, including through acquisitions, to enhance our technology and our existing games, advertising and other services, and introduce new game products and services, including games other than the MMOGs and Web-based games, such as mobile games and social networking games, in order for us to adapt to industry trends and shifting demands of game players and advertising clients and to remain competitive. If our products and services are not responsive to the needs of our game players and advertisers, are not appropriately timed with market opportunities, or are not effectively brought to market, or if our competitors are more successful than we are in developing compelling products or in attracting and retaining game players and advertisers, we may not be able to recoup such expenditures.

We have a history of net losses, which might occur again in the future.

We incurred net losses from the inception of our business until the third quarter of 2007. We cannot assure you that we can remain profitable or avoid net losses in the future or that there will not be any earnings or revenue declines for any future quarterly or other periods. We expect that our operating expenses will increase as we grow our business, including significantly increasing our headcount and expending substantial resources for product development and marketing, and as we operate as a separate, stand-alone company. As a result, any decrease or delay in generating revenues could result in material operating losses.

Our cinema advertising business has generated losses and we may not be able to maintain or expand the revenue that we receive from cinema advertising services.

Our cinema advertising business was not profitable for the year ended December 31, 2011. Our cinema advertising services revenue is generated through our wholly-owned subsidiary Shanghai Jingmao and its affiliates. Shanghai Jingmao enters into cinema advertising service contracts with advertisers to provide advertisements on pre-movie advertising slots in movie theatres. We receive the cinema advertising rights for such pre-movie advertising slots under separate contracts between Shanghai Jingmao and various theatres and film production companies. We cannot assure you that we will be able to develop, maintain or expand the types of relationships with movie theatres and film production companies that will permit us to receive or preserve our existing rights or obtain any additional rights to pre-movie advertisement slots. Any failure to develop, maintain or expand such relationships could prevent us from increasing our cinema advertising revenues and prevent the business from becoming profitable or result in a decrease in our cinema advertising revenues.

Our operating results for a particular period could fall below our expectations or the expectations of investors or research analysts, resulting in a decrease in the price of our ADSs.

Our operating results may vary significantly from period to period as a result of factors beyond our control, such as the slowdown in China’s economic growth between the third quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2009 caused in part by the severe global crisis in the financial services and credit markets, and may be difficult to predict for any given period. Our past results may not be indicative of our future performance and our quarterly results may not be indicative of our full year results. If our operating results for any period fall below our expectations or the expectations of investors or research analysts, the price of our ADSs is likely to decrease.

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We generate all of our online game revenues under the item-based revenue model, which has a short history of commercial application and presents risks related to consumer preferences and regulatory restrictions.

When we first launched BO in October 2004, it generated revenue under the time-based revenue model. Currently, we operate all of our games, including both MMOGs and Web-based games, under the item-based revenue model. Under this revenue model, our game players are free to play the games for an unlimited amount of time, but are charged for the purchases of certain virtual items. We currently expect that a substantial majority of our online game revenues, including revenues from all of our current pipeline games, will continually be generated under the item-based revenue model. The item-based revenue model requires us to design games that not only attract game players to spend more time playing, but also encourage them to purchase virtual items. The sale of virtual items requires us to track closely consumer tastes and preferences, especially as to in-game consumption patterns. If we fail to design virtual items so as to incentivize game player to purchase them, we may not be able to effectively translate our game player base and their playing time into revenues. Although the item-based revenue model is currently a prevalent revenue model for MMOGs in China, it does not have a long history of proven commercial application. In addition, the item-based revenue model may cause additional concerns with PRC regulators who have been implementing regulations designed to reduce the amount of time that Chinese youths spend on online games and intended to limit the total amount of virtual currency issued by online game operators and the amount of purchase by individual game player. A revenue model that does not charge for time may be viewed by the PRC regulators as inconsistent with this goal. We cannot assure you that the item-based revenue model will continue to be commercially successful, or that we will not in the future need to change our revenue model back to the time-based revenue model or to a new revenue model. Any change in revenue model could result in disruption of our game operations and decrease in the number of our game players.

We rely on data recorded in our billing systems for online game revenue recognition and tracking of game players’ consumption patterns of virtual items. If our billing systems fail to operate effectively, it will not only affect the completeness and accuracy of our revenue recognition, but also our ability to design and improve virtual items that appeal to game players.

Our MMOG operations revenues are collected through the sale of our prepaid game cards or online direct sale of game points. However, we do not recognize revenues when our prepaid game card or game points are sold. Rather, our revenues are recognized when the virtual items purchased by our game players are consumed. For consumable virtual items, including those with a predetermined expiration time, revenues are recognized as they are consumed, and for perpetual virtual items, revenues are recognized over their estimated lives. We rely on our billing systems to capture the purchase and consumption of the virtual items by our game players. If our billing systems fail to accurately record the purchase and consumption information of the virtual items, we may not be able to accurately recognize our revenues. In addition, various factors affect the estimated lives of perpetual virtual items, such as the average period that game players typically play our games and other game player behavior patterns, the acceptance and popularity of expansion packs, promotional events launched and market conditions, and we rely on our billing systems to capture such historical game player behavior patterns and other information. If such information is not accurately recorded, or if we do not have sufficient information due to our short operating history of TLBB, we will not be able to accurately estimate the lives of the perpetual virtual items, which will also affect our ability to accurately recognize our revenues from such perpetual virtual items. Therefore, if our billing systems were damaged by system failure, network interruption, or virus infection, or attacked by a hacker, the integrity of data would be compromised, which could materially and adversely affect our revenue recognition and the completeness and accuracy of our recognized revenues, resulting in possible restatement of our financial statements and loss of investors’ confidence in us.

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In addition, we rely on our billing systems to record game player purchase and consumption patterns, based on which we improve our existing virtual items and design new virtual items. For example, we intend to increase development efforts on the number and variety of virtual items that our game players like to purchase, and we may also adjust prices accordingly. If our billing systems fail to record data accurately, our ability to improve existing virtual items or design new virtual items that are appealing to our game players may be adversely affected, which could in turn materially and adversely affect our revenues.

Rapid technological changes may increase our game development costs.

The online game industry is evolving rapidly, so we need to anticipate new technologies and evaluate their possible market acceptance. In addition, government authorities or industry organizations may adopt new standards that apply to game development. Any new technologies and new standards may require increases in expenditures for MMOG or Web-based game development and operations, and we will need to adapt our business to cope with the changes and support these new services to be successful. If we fall behind in adopting new technologies or standards, our existing games may lose popularity, and our newly developed games may not be well received in the marketplace. As a result, our business prospects and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our business may be materially harmed if our games are not featured in a sufficient number of Internet cafés in China.

A substantial number of game players access our games through Internet cafés in China. Due to limited hardware capacity, Internet cafés generally feature a limited number of games on their computers. We thus compete with a growing number of other online game operators to ensure that our games are featured on these computers. This competition may intensify in China due to a nationwide suspension of approval for the establishment of new Internet cafés in 2007, and the restrictions and control on the total number of Internet cafés nationwide by the Ministry of Culture, or MOC, thereafter. We take steps to ensure that our games are featured in a sufficient number of Internet cafés, including maintaining good relationships with Internet café operators, requiring our distributors to maintain a sales presence in a large number of Internet cafés, conducting periodical promotional activities in select Internet cafés, and other general sales and marketing efforts. If we fail to maintain good relationships with Internet café operators, or if we and/or our distributors fail to successfully persuade Internet cafés to feature our games, our revenues may be materially and adversely affected.

Following our acquisition of the 17173 Business, we will depend on online advertising for a portion of our revenues; the online advertisement market includes many uncertainties, which could cause our advertising revenues to fail to grow or to decline.

On December 15, 2011, we completed the acquisition from Sohu of certain of the assets of the 17173 Business, which derives revenue primarily from providing advertising services to advertisers on the 17173.com Website. For the year ended December 31, 2011, online advertising revenues from the 17173 Business were $38.2 million, representing 7.9% of our total revenues for the year. Our ability to maintain or grow advertising revenues from the 17173 Business may be adversely affected by any of the following risk factors:

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In addition, our ability to generate and maintain significant online advertising revenues will also depend upon:

Following our acquisition of the 17173 Business, we rely on advertising agencies to sell our online advertising services. If current trends of consolidation of advertising agencies in the Chinese market continue, the bargaining power of the large advertising agencies resulting from such consolidation may permit them to require that we pay higher sales rebates, which would adversely affect our gross margin.

Most of the online advertising services of the 17173 Business are distributed by, and most of the online advertising revenues of the 17173 Business are derived from, advertising agencies. In 2011, for example, we engaged four advertising agencies, which contributed approximately 90% of the online advertising revenues of the 17173 Business. In consideration for these agencies’ services, we are required to pay certain percentages of revenues as sales rebates. If the online advertising market is consolidated and effectively controlled by a small number of large advertising agencies, such advertising agencies may be in a position to demand higher sales rebates based on increased bargaining power, which could negatively affect our online advertising growth as we book our online advertising revenue netted off our sales rebates to advertising agencies.

The expansion of Internet advertisement blocking software may result in a decrease of advertising revenues.

The development of Web software that blocks Internet advertisements before they appear on a user’s screen may hinder the growth of online advertising. The expansion of advertisement blocking on the Internet may decrease the revenues we will be able to derive from the 17173 Business because, when an advertisement is blocked, it is not downloaded from the server. As a result, such advertisements will not be tracked as delivered advertisements. In addition, advertisers may choose not to advertise on the Internet or on our Websites because of the use by third parties of Internet advertisement blocking software.

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Our marketing and promotion have benefited significantly from our association with Sohu. Any negative development in Sohu’s market position or brand recognition may materially and adversely affect our marketing efforts and the popularity of our games.

We are a majority owned subsidiary of Sohu and expect to continue to be part of the Sohu Group, as Sohu is expected to remain our controlling shareholder. We have benefited, and expect to continue to benefit, significantly from Sohu in marketing our games and the 17173 Business. For example, we have benefited from Sohu’s large user base by marketing and advertising across Sohu’s domains and using the Sohu Group’s single-user ID system, which provides Sohu’s registered users easy access to our games. We and Sohu have entered into a services agreement and an online links and advertising agreement, pursuant to which Sohu provides links and advertising space on Sohu’s Websites and related technical support to us in connection with our operation and promotion of the 17173 Business. We also benefit from Sohu’s strong brand recognition in China, which has provided us credibility and a broad marketing reach.

If Sohu loses its market position, the effectiveness of our marketing efforts through our association with Sohu could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any negative publicity associated with Sohu.com or its affiliated Websites will likely have an adverse impact on the effectiveness of our marketing on those sites as well as our reputation and our brand.

We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if determined adversely to us, could subject us to significant liabilities and other costs.

Our success depends largely on our ability to use and develop our technology and know-how without infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties. We cannot assure you that third parties will not assert intellectual property claims against us. We are subject to additional risks if entities licensing to us intellectual property, including, for example, game source codes, do not have adequate rights in any such licensed materials. The validity and scope of claims relating to the intellectual property of game development and technology involve complex scientific, legal and factual questions and analysis and, therefore, tend to be uncertain. If third parties assert copyright or patent infringement or violation of other intellectual property rights against us, we have to defend ourselves in litigation or administrative proceedings, which can be both costly and time consuming and may significantly divert the efforts and resources of our technical and management personnel. An adverse determination in any such litigation or proceedings to which we may become a party could subject us to significant liability to third parties, require us to seek licenses from third parties, to pay ongoing royalties, or to redesign our games or subject us to injunctions prohibiting the development and operation of our games.

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We may need to incur significant expenses to enforce our proprietary rights, and if we are unable to protect such rights, our competitive position could be harmed.

We regard our proprietary software, domain names, trade names, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property as critical to our success. In particular, we have spent a significant amount of time and resources in developing TLBB and DMD. Our ability to protect our proprietary rights in connection with TLBB and DMD is critical for the success of these games and our overall financial performance. We have registered software in China for copyright protection and we have taken various measures to protect our source codes, including confidentiality agreements and segregation of source codes, so that only our Chief Technology Officer has access to the entire source codes for any of our games. We have applied for registration of 451 trademarks in the PRC, including those related to our company name and our MMOGs and Web-based games. We have obtained a trademark registration certificate in the PRC relating to TLBB. We have also applied for 117 trademarks in countries and regions such as Taiwan, the United States, Europe, Malaysia, Turkey and Vietnam relating to our company name, our MMOGs and our Web-based games. We have obtained four trademarks relating to TLBB in Taiwan and two and three trademarks relating to DMD in Taiwan and Japan, respectively. In addition, we have obtained six trademarks in the European Union relating to TLBB. However, we may not succeed in obtaining trademarks that we have applied for, including any trademarks relating to our games TLBB and DMD. Any failure to register trademarks in any country or region may limit our ability to protect our rights in such country or region under relevant trademark laws, and we may even need to change the name or the relevant trademark in certain cases, which may adversely affect our branding and marketing efforts.

In addition, we cannot assure you that our measures will be sufficient to protect our proprietary information and intellectual property. Intellectual property rights and confidentiality protection in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other developed countries. Policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive. Any steps we have taken to prevent the misappropriation of our proprietary technology may be inadequate. The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property in Internet-related industries are uncertain and still evolving. In particular, the laws and enforcement procedures in the PRC are uncertain and may not protect intellectual property rights in this area to the same extent as do the laws and enforcement procedures in the United States and other developed countries.

Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property, other online game developers may copy our ideas and designs, and other third parties may infringe our intellectual property rights. For example, certain third parties have misappropriated the source codes of previous versions of TLBB and have set up unauthorized servers in China and elsewhere to operate TLBB to compete with us. As a result, we have taken measures to enforce our intellectual property rights. However, such measures may not be successful in eliminating these unauthorized servers. The existence of unauthorized servers may attract game players away from our games and may result in decreases in our revenues. Litigation relating to intellectual property rights may result in substantial costs to us and diversion of resources and management attention away from our business, and may not be successful. In addition, as our ideas and designs are not protected by patents, other online game developers may independently develop ideas and designs that compete with us.

We may not have exclusive rights over trademarks that are crucial to our business, including but not limited to TLBB, Blade Online, Changyou.com, DMD, cyou.com, TL logos, DDTank and 17173.

We have applied for initial registration, and/or change of the registrations relating to transfer of our key trademarks in the PRC, including but not limited to TLBB, Blade Online, ChangYou.com, DMD, cyou.com, TL logos, DDTank and 17173 and their corresponding Chinese version marks, so as to establish and protect our exclusive rights to the marks. We have succeeded in registering the trademarks TLBB, ChangYou.com, cyou.com, TL logos and DDTank in the PRC under certain classes. The applications for initial registration, and/or change of the registrations relating to transfer, of the other marks and/or of some marks under other classes are still under examination by the Trademark Office of the PRC. Completion of the initial registration, and/or change of the registration relating to any such transfer, is subject to the Trademark Office of the PRC’s determination that there are no prior rights in the PRC. Any rejection of these applications could adversely affect our rights to these marks.

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We may fail to maintain a stable and efficient physical distribution network for our prepaid game cards.

Online payment systems in China are in a developmental stage and are not as widely available to or accepted by consumers in China as they are in the United States. We rely heavily on a physical distribution network composed of third-party distributors to cover a network of retail outlets across China for the sales of our prepaid game cards to our game players. As a result, our revenues could be adversely affected by the under-performance of our distributors, such as the failure to meet minimum sales or penetration targets or the failure to establish an extensive retail network. We generally sign one-year agreements with our distributors. We may not continue to maintain favorable relationships with them. In addition, our distributors may violate our distribution agreements. Such violations may include, among other things, their:

In the past, some of our distributors have failed to carry out their obligations in accordance with the distribution agreements, which resulted in our termination of our distribution relationship with them. If we decide to penalize, suspend or terminate our distributors for acting in violation of our distribution agreements, or if the distributors fail to address material violations committed by any of their retail outlets in a timely manner, our ability to effectively sell our prepaid game cards in any given territory could be negatively impacted, which could materially and adversely affect our revenues.

We could be liable for breaches of security of our and third-parties’ online payment platforms, and sales made through those channels might have a negative impact on our revenues.

Currently, we directly sell a substantial portion of virtual prepaid game cards and game points to our game players through third-party online payment platforms. In all these online transactions, secured transmission of confidential information, such as customers’ credit card numbers and expiration dates, personal information and billing addresses, over public networks is essential if we are to maintain our consumers’ confidence in us. In addition, we expect that an increasing amount of our sales will be conducted over the Internet as a result of the growing use of online payment systems. As a result, the risk of associated online crime will increase as well. Our current security measures and those of the third parties with whom we transact business may not be adequate. We must be prepared to increase our security measures and efforts so that our game players have confidence in the reliability of the online payment systems that we use, which will require us to incur additional expense and such increased security measures may still not make our platforms completely safe. In addition, we do not have control over the security measures of our third-party online payment vendors. Security breaches of the online payment systems that we use could expose us to litigation and possible liability for failing to secure confidential customer information and could harm our reputation, ability to attract customers and ability to encourage customers to purchase virtual items.

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Breaches in the security of our server network could cause disruptions in our service, facilitate piracy of our intellectual property, or compromise confidential information of our game players.

We store on our servers and transmit over the Internet considerable and continually increasing amounts of data, much of which is essential to the operation of our business or is highly confidential information concerning our business and our game players. In addition, the expansion of our business, our planned increase in the portion of our business devoted to Web-based game and our need to comply with PRC regulations requiring real-name registration of our game players are all likely to cause the amount of personal data concerning our game players that is transmitted over our networks to increase over time. While we believe that measures we take to preserve the security of our networks are effective, any breaches of our network by hackers could cause severe disruptions in our service, allow piracy of the source code used in the operation of our games and allow pirated versions of our games to enter the marketplace, or result in the release of confidential personal or financial information of our game players, any of which could have an adverse impact on our business, our revenues, and our reputation among game players. In order to minimize the likelihood of such breaches as our business expands and the amount of confidential and sensitive data increases, we expect that we will need to expend considerable resources to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of our security systems.

We may be subject to, and may expend significant resources in defending against claims, regarding the content and services we provide over all of our Websites.

As our services may be used to download and distribute information to others, there is a risk that claims may be made against us for defamation, negligence, copyright or trademark infringement or based on the nature and content of such information. Furthermore, we could be subject to claims for the online activities of our visitors and incur significant costs in our defense. In the past, claims regarding the nature and content of information that was posted online by visitors have been made in the United States against companies that provide online services. We do not carry any liability insurance against such risks.

We could be exposed to liability for the selection of listings that may be accessible through our Websites or through content and materials that our visitors may post in classifieds, message boards, chat rooms or other interactive services. If any information provided through our services contains errors, third parties may make claims against us for losses incurred in reliance on the information.

We are dependent upon our existing management, our key development personnel and our qualified technical personnel, and our business may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.

Our future success depends substantially on the continued services of our executive officers and our key development personnel, such as our Chief Executive Officer, Tao Wang, who has been instrumental in the development of TLBB and DMD, our Chief Technology Officer, Xiaojian Hong, our President and Chief Operating Officer, Dewen Chen, and our Chief Financial Officer, Alex Ho. If one or more of our executive officers or key development personnel were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we might not be able to replace them easily or at all. In addition, if any of our executive officers or key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose know-how, key professionals and staff members as well as suppliers. These executive officers and key employees could develop and operate games that could compete with and take game players away from our existing and future games. Each of our executive officers and key personnel has entered into an employment agreement with us, which contains non-competition provisions. However, if any dispute arises between our executive officers or key employees and us, these non-competition provisions may not be enforceable in China.

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We are rapidly expanding our business and need to hire a significant number of new employees. If we are unable to attract a sufficient number of qualified new employees or retain our existing employees, our business prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

As we are in the early stages of our development and our business is growing rapidly, we have needed, and expect to continue to need, to increase the number of our employees, including senior-level executives, experienced project managers, game development personnel and game operation professionals. The number of our employees increased 45.5% between the end of 2010 and the end of 2011. Our industry in China is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, particularly for game developers and related technical personnel, and we may not be able to attract a sufficient number of additional qualified new employees or retain existing employees to meet the growth of our business, in which case our growth strategy and our business prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

Our business could suffer if we do not successfully manage our current and future growth.

We have experienced a period of rapid growth and expansion that has placed, and will continue to place, strain on our management personnel, systems and resources. To accommodate our growth pursuant to our strategies, we anticipate that we will need to implement a variety of new and upgraded operational and financial systems, including online payment systems and related security systems, procedures and controls, and the improvement of our accounting and other internal management systems, all of which require substantial management efforts and financial resources. We will also need to continue to expand, train, manage and motivate our workforce, and manage our relationships with our distributors, third-party service providers and game player base. All of these endeavors will require substantial management effort and skills and the incurrence of additional expenditures. We cannot assure you that we will be able to efficiently or effectively implement our growth strategies and manage the growth of our operations, and any failure to do so may limit our future growth and hamper our business strategy.

We incur additional costs and face significant risks when we license our games outside of China and seek to expand our operations to select markets, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Korea. If we fail to manage these risks, our growth and business prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

We currently license TLBB and DDTank to third-party operators in regions outside of China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, and certain other countries. Pursuant to our strategy, we plan to continue to license TLBB and other future games in these and other overseas markets. We have expanded our direct MMOG operations to select markets, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Korea, and expect to expand our direct MMOG operations (through local wholly-owned subsidiaries) to other overseas markets. Identifying appropriate overseas markets, negotiating with potential third-party licensees and managing our relationships with our licensees all require substantial management effort and skills and the incurrence of additional expenditures. Licensing games, or operating them directly overseas, also requires translation of our games to the local language of the overseas market in which we plan to license or operate, and may require customization as well, both of which require additional costs and expenses. Furthermore, there are additional risks in connection with the licensing or direct operation of our games overseas, including:

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If we are unable to manage these risks effectively, our ability to license or operate directly our games overseas may be impaired, which may materially and adversely affect our future growth, financial condition and results of operations.

Recent and potential future acquisitions and/or strategic alliances may have an adverse effect on our ability to manage our business.

We have made acquisitions of, and may potentially acquire in the future, technologies, businesses or assets that are complementary to our business and/or enter into strategic alliances in order to leverage our position in the Chinese online game market and expand our business domestically and internationally. Recent and future acquisitions or strategic alliances may expose us to potential risks, including risks associated with the integration of new technologies, businesses and personnel, unforeseen or hidden liabilities, the diversion of management attention and resources from our existing business, and the inability to generate sufficient revenues to offset the costs and expenses of acquisitions or strategic alliances. Any difficulties encountered in the acquisition and strategic alliance process may have an adverse effect on our ability to manage our business. In addition, acquired businesses may not perform to our expectations for various reasons, including the loss of key personnel or key clients, and our strategic focus may change. As a result, we may not realize the benefits we anticipated. If we fail to integrate acquired technologies, businesses and assets or realize the expected benefits, we may not receive a return on our investment and our transaction costs for such acquisitions, and our business and operations may be adversely affected.

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We do not have business insurance coverage.

The insurance industry in China is still at an early stage of development. Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance products, or offer them at a high price. As a result, we do not have any business liability, loss of data or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business disruption, litigation or natural disaster might result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of our resources.

There are uncertainties regarding the future growth of the online game industry in China.

The online game industry, from which we derive substantially all of our revenues, is a relatively new and evolving industry. The growth of the online game industry and the level of demand and market acceptance of our games are subject to a high degree of uncertainty. Our future operating results will depend on numerous factors affecting the online game industry, many of which are beyond our control, including:

There is no assurance that online games, in particular MMOGs and Web-based games, will continue to be popular in China or elsewhere. A decline in the popularity of online games in general, or the MMOGs and Web-based games that we operate, will likely adversely affect our business and prospects.

The successful operation of our business and implementation of our growth strategies, including our ability to accommodate additional game players and advertising clients in the future, depend upon the performance and reliability of the Internet infrastructure and fixed telecommunications networks in China.

Although private Internet service providers currently exist in China, almost all access to the Internet is maintained through state-owned telecommunications operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT (formerly the Ministry of Information Industry). We rely on this infrastructure to provide data communications capacity primarily through local telecommunications lines. Although the government has announced plans to develop aggressively the national information infrastructure, we cannot assure you that this infrastructure will be developed as planned or at all. In addition, we will have no access to alternative networks and services, on a timely basis if at all, in the event of any infrastructure disruption or failure. The Internet infrastructure in China may not support the demands necessary for the continued growth in Internet usage.

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The limited use of personal computers in China and the relatively high cost of Internet access in relation to per capita gross domestic product may limit the development of the Internet in China and impede our growth.

The penetration rate for personal computers in China is significantly lower than it is in the United States and other developed countries. Furthermore, the cost of Internet access is still relatively high as compared to other developed countries. The limited use of personal computers in China and the relatively high cost of Internet access may limit the growth of our business. In addition, there may be increases in Internet access fees or telecommunication fees in China. If that happens, the number of our game players may decrease and the growth of our game player base may be materially impacted. Slow growth of, or a decrease in, the traffic on the 17173.com Website may also cause our advertising clients to reduce their use of our online advertising services, which would have a negative impact on our online advertising revenues.

We face risks related to health epidemics and other natural disasters.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of avian flu, SARS, H1N1 or other epidemics or outbreaks. China reported a number of cases of SARS in 2003, which resulted in the closure by the PRC government of many businesses in May and June of 2003 to prevent the transmission of SARS. Similarly, there were many businesses in China that were affected by the outbreak of the H1N1 virus in 2009. In recent years, there have been reports of occurrences of avian flu in various parts of China, including a few confirmed human cases and deaths. Any prolonged recurrence of avian flu, SARS, H1N1 or other adverse public health developments in China may have a material adverse effect on our business operations. These could include illness and loss of our management and key employees, as well as temporary closure of our offices and related other businesses, such as server operations, upon which we rely. Such loss of management and key employees or closures would severely disrupt our business operations. We have not adopted any written preventive measures or contingency plans to combat any future outbreak of avian flu, SARS, H1N1 or any other epidemic. In addition, other major natural disasters may also adversely affect our business by, for example, causing disruptions of the Internet network or otherwise affecting access to our games.

Risks Related to Our Structure and Regulations

If the PRC government determines that the VIE structure for operating our business does not comply with PRC government restrictions on foreign investment in the online game industry and the online advertisement industry, we could face severe penalties.

Various regulations in China currently restrict or prevent foreign-invested entities from engaging in telecommunication services, including operating online games and providing online advertisements. Because of these restrictions, our operation of MMOGs, Web-based game businesses in the PRC are conducted through our variable interest entities, or VIEs, which include Beijing Gamease Age Digital Technology Co., Ltd., or Gamease, Beijing Guanyou Gamespace Digital Technology Co., Ltd., or Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai ICE, and Shenzhen 7Road Technology Co., Ltd., or 7Road, which is a majority-owned subsidiary of Gamease. The current shareholders of Gamease and Guanyou Gamespace are Tao Wang, our Chief Executive Officer, and Dewen Chen, our President and Chief Operating Officer, who hold 60% and 40%, respectively, of each of these entities. The two employees who are the shareholders of Shanghai ICE are Runa Pi and Rong Qi, each of whom holds 50% of Shanghai ICE. Our VIE Gamease currently holds 68.258% of 7Road. All of the nominee shareholders of those VIEs are PRC citizens. Gamease and its majority-owned subsidiary 7Road are effectively controlled by Beijing AmazGame Age Internet Technology Co., Ltd., or AmazGame; Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE are effectively controlled by Beijing Changyou Gamespace Software Technology Co., Ltd., or Gamespace, and ICE Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, or ICE Information, respectively, all of which are PRC companies and our indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, through a series of contractual arrangements. For details of these contractual arrangements, see “Related Party Transactions” in Item 7 of this annual report.

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The Notice on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-added Telecommunications Services issued by MIIT in July 2006, or the MIIT Circular, reiterated restrictions on foreign investment in telecommunications businesses. Under the MIIT Circular, a domestic company that holds a license for the provision of Internet information service, or an ICP license, or a license to conduct any value-added telecommunications business in China, is prohibited from leasing, transferring or selling the license to foreign investors in any form, and from providing any assistance, including providing resources, sites or facilities, to foreign investors to conduct value-added telecommunications businesses illegally in China. Furthermore, trademarks and domain names that are used in a value-added telecommunications business must be owned by the local ICP license holder. The MIIT Circular further requires each ICP license holder to have appropriate facilities for its approved business operations and to maintain such facilities in the regions covered by its license. In addition, all value-added telecommunications service providers are required to maintain network and information security in accordance with the standards set forth under relevant PRC regulations. Due to a lack of interpretative materials from the authorities, it is uncertain whether the MIIT would consider our corporate structures and contractual arrangements as a kind of foreign investment in telecommunication services. Therefore, it is unclear what impact the MIIT Circular might have on us or the other Chinese Internet companies that have adopted the same or similar corporate structures and contractual arrangements as ours.

On September 28, 2009, the General Administration of Press and Publication, or GAPP, together with the National Copyright Administration, and the National Office of Combating Pornography and Illegal Publications jointly issued a Notice on Further Strengthening on the Administration of Pre-examination and Approval of Online Game and the Examination and Approval of Imported Online Game , or the GAPP Notice. The GAPP Notice states that foreign investors are not permitted to invest in online game operating businesses in China via wholly foreign-owned entities, China-foreign equity joint ventures or cooperative joint ventures or to exercise control over or participate in the operation of domestic online game businesses through indirect means, such as other joint venture companies or contractual or technical arrangements. It is unclear whether the GAPP will deem our VIE structure to be such an “indirect means” for foreign investors to exercise control over or participate in the operation of domestic online game businesses. If our VIE structure were deemed to be such an “indirect means” under the GAPP Notice, our VIE structure might be challenged by the GAPP authorities.

In August 2011, the Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, promulgated the Rules of Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors , or the MOFCOM Security Review Rules, to implement the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Establishing the Security Review System for Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors , or Circular No. 6, promulgated on February 3, 2011. The MOFCOM Security Review Rules came into effect on September 1, 2011 and replaced the Interim Provisions of the Ministry of Commerce on Matters Relating to the Implementation of the Security Review System for Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors promulgated by the MOFCOM in March 2011. Under these circulars and rules, a security review is required for foreign investors’ mergers and acquisitions having “national defense and security” implications and mergers and acquisitions by which foreign investors may acquire “de facto control” of domestic enterprises having “national security” implications. In addition, when deciding whether a specific merger or acquisition of a domestic enterprise by foreign investors is subject to a security review, the MOFCOM will look into the substance and actual impact of the transaction. The MOFCOM Security Review Rules further prohibit foreign investors from bypassing the security review requirement by structuring transactions through proxies, trusts, indirect investments, leases, loans, control through contractual arrangements or offshore transactions. There is no explicit provision or official interpretation stating that our online game business or our online advertising business falls into the scope subject to security review, and there is no requirement for foreign investors in those mergers and acquisitions transactions already completed prior to the promulgation of Circular No. 6 to submit such transactions to the MOFCOM for a security review. As we have already obtained “de facto control” over our VIEs prior to the effectiveness of these circulars, we do not believe we are required to submit our existing contractual arrangement to the MOFCOM for a security review. However, as these circulars and rules are relatively new and there is a lack of clear statutory interpretation regarding the implementation of the rules, there is no assurance that the MOFCOM will have the same view as we do when applying these national security review-related circulars and rules.

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We cannot assure you that we will not be found in violation of any current or future PRC laws and regulations.

If we were found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws, regulations or notices, including the MIIT Circular, the GAPP Notice and the MOFCOM Security Review Rules, regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the licensing and operation of our business would have broad discretion in dealing with such a violation, including levying fines, confiscating our income, revoking the business or operating licenses of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE, 7Road, AmazGame, Gamespace and/or ICE Information, requiring us to restructure the relevant ownership structure or operations, or requiring us to discontinue all or any portion of our game operations. Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and have a materially adverse impact on our cash flows, financial position and operating performance.

Our contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their shareholders may not be as effective in providing control over the VIEs as direct ownership of the VIEs and the shareholders of the VIEs may have potential conflicts of interest with us.

We have no ownership interest in Gamease, 7Road, Guanyou Gamespace, or Shanghai ICE, and we conduct substantially all of our operations and generate substantially all of our revenues through contractual arrangements that our subsidiaries AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information had entered into with Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE and their shareholders, respectively, and such contractual arrangements are designed to provide us with effective control over Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE and, through Gamease, 7Road. See “Related Party Transactions” in Item 7 of this annual report for a description of these contractual arrangements. We depend on Gamease, 7Road, Guanyou Gamespace, and Shanghai ICE to hold and maintain certain licenses and permits necessary for our online game business and the 17173 Business. Gamease, 7Road, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE collectively own all of the necessary intellectual property, facilities and other assets relating to the operation of our online games and the 17173 Business, and employ personnel for the operations and distribution of our games and the operation of the 17173 business, that are not owned or employed directly by our subsidiaries.

These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing us with control over Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE and, through Gamease, 7Road as direct ownership. If we had direct ownership of Gamease, 7Road, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in their Boards of Directors, which in turn could effect changes at the management level. Due to our VIE structure, we have to rely on contractual rights to effect control and management of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE and, through Gamease, 7Road, which exposes us to the risk of potential breach of contract by the shareholders of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, and Shanghai ICE. In addition, as each of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE is jointly owned by its respective shareholders, it may be difficult for us to change our corporate structure if such shareholders refuse to cooperate with us.

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The shareholders of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE may breach, or cause Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE to breach, the contracts for a number of reasons. For example, their interests as shareholders of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE and the interests of our company may conflict and we may fail to resolve such conflicts; the shareholders may believe that breaching the contracts will lead to greater economic benefit for them; or the shareholders may otherwise act in bad faith. If any of the foregoing were to happen, we may have to rely on legal or arbitral proceedings to enforce our contractual rights, including specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages. Such arbitral and legal proceedings may cost us substantial financial and other resources, and result in disruption of our business, and we cannot assure you that the outcome will be in our favor.

Under the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their shareholders, no shareholder or group of shareholders of any of our VIEs has the ability to unilaterally terminate any of the agreements between the VIEs in which they hold shares and the corresponding WFOEs. However, (i) the shareholders have a termination right under the loan agreements if the corresponding WFOE engages in gross negligence, fraud or other material illegal actions or if the corresponding WFOE’s existence is terminated as a result of bankruptcy, dissolution, or legal process by government authorities and (ii) the shareholders have a termination right under the equity purchase right agreements if the corresponding VIE’s existence is terminated as a result of bankruptcy, dissolution, or legal process by government authorities. We consider the possibility to be remote that any of such circumstances would occur.

In addition, as all of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through either arbitration or litigation in the PRC, they would be interpreted in accordance with PRC law and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could further limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Furthermore, these contracts may not be enforceable in China if PRC government authorities or courts take a view that such contracts contravene PRC laws and regulations or are otherwise not enforceable for public policy reasons. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE and 7Road, and our ability to conduct our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Our contractual arrangements with our VIEs may result in adverse tax consequences to us.

Under PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. We could face material adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that our contractual arrangements with any of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE were not made on an arm’s length basis and adjust our income and expenses for PRC tax purposes in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could result in a reduction, for PRC tax purposes, of adjustments recorded by Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE, which could adversely affect us by (i) increasing the tax liability of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE without reducing the tax liability of AmazGame, Gamespace or ICE Information, which could further result in interest being levied to us for underpaid taxes; or (ii) limiting the ability of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE, AmazGame, Gamespace and/or ICE Information to maintain preferential tax treatments and other financial incentives. If for any reason we need to cause the transfer of any of the shareholders’ shares in any of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE to a different nominee shareholder (such as if, for example, one of such shareholders is no longer employed by us), we might be required to pay individual income tax, on behalf of the transferring shareholder, on any gain deemed to have been realized by such shareholder on such transfer.

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Substantially all of our revenues are generated through Gamease (including indirectly from 7Road), Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, our VIEs, and we rely on payments made by Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace, Shanghai ICE to AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information, our subsidiaries, pursuant to contractual arrangements to transfer any such revenues to AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information. Any restriction on such payments and any increase in the amount of PRC taxes applicable to such payments may materially and adversely affect our business and our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders and ADS holders.

We conduct substantially all of our operations through Gamease (including through Gamease’s majority interest in 7Road), Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, our VIEs, which generate substantially all of our revenues. As our VIEs are not owned by our subsidiaries, they are not able to make dividend payments to our subsidiaries. Instead, each of AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information, our subsidiaries in China, entered into a number of contracts with its corresponding VIE, pursuant to which the VIE pays the PRC subsidiary for certain services that the PRC subsidiary provides to the VIE. However, depending on the nature of services provided, certain of these payments are subject to PRC taxes at different rates, including business taxes and VATs, which effectively reduce the amount that we receive from the VIEs. We cannot assure you that the PRC government will not impose restrictions on such payments or change the tax rates applicable to such payments. Any such restrictions on such payment or increases in the applicable tax rates may materially and adversely affect our ability to receive payments from the VIEs or the amount of such payments, and may in turn materially and adversely affect our business, our net income and our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders and ADS holders.

Internet publishing licenses are required under PRC regulations for the games that we currently operate or plan to launch in the future. We have historically operated, and continue to operate, certain of our games through the publishing licenses of unrelated third parties. If the GAPP challenges the commercial operation of certain of our games, through such third-party publishing licenses, or if we fail to obtain necessary licenses to commercially operate certain of our games, we may be subject to various penalties, including restrictions on our operations.

Pursuant to PRC regulations issued by the GAPP and the MIIT relating to the regulation of online publication, an online game operator needs to obtain an Internet publishing license and each game in operation needs to be granted a publishing number in order to directly make its online games publicly available in the PRC, as operating online games is deemed to be an online publishing activity. Our games TLBB, BO, BH2, SJQY, and DDTank and certain of our licensed games were historically granted publishing numbers and published through third parties that were licensed electronic publishing entities, because Gamease, Shanghai ICE and 7Road, the operators of those games, had not obtained Internet publishing licenses at the time those games were made publicly available. As our VIE Shanghai ICE is still in the process of applying for an Internet publishing license and some publication agreements between third parties and our VIEs which have obtained Internet publishing licenses have not expired, some of our games continue to be published through such third parties. See “Regulations—Online Games and Cultural Products” in Item 4 of this annual report. The current PRC regulations are not clear as to the consequence of obtaining publishing numbers through third party electronic publishing entities and operating without an Internet publishing license. We have made oral inquiries with the officials at the GAPP and have been informed that the GAPP is aware of and does not object to such practice, so long as the applications for the Internet publishing licenses have been filed with the GAPP. However, in the view of the lack of formal interpretation regarding this issue, our current and past practices might later be challenged by the GAPP, which could subject us to various penalties, including fines, confiscation of publishing equipment and the revenues generated from the publishing activities, the revocation of our business license, or the forced discontinuation of or restrictions on our operations.

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If we are found to be in violation of current or future PRC laws, rules or regulations regarding Internet-related services and telecom-related activities, we could be subject to severe penalties.

The PRC has enacted regulations that apply to Internet-related services and telecom-related activities. While many aspects of these regulations remain unclear, they purport to limit and require licensing of various aspects of the provision of Internet information and content, online games, and online advertising services.

Under the Measures for the Administration of the Transmission of Audiovisual Programs over Internet and other Information Networks issued by the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television, or the SARFT, which came into effect on October 11, 2004, Websites authorized to disseminate news must apply to the SARFT to obtain a Permit for the Network Transmission of Audiovisual Programs in order to disseminate streaming video online. In addition, on April 1, 2010, SARFT issued the Catalogue of Classification of Internet Audio-Video Program Services (Trial) , pursuant to which the business of providing public program searching and watching services through the Internet to the public is classified as an Internet audio-video program service for which a Permit for the Network Transmission of Audiovisual Programs is required. Our online video services offered on the 17173.com Website are operated by Guanyou Gamespace through a permit held by Beijing Sohu Internet Information Service Co., Ltd, which is a VIE of Sohu, and Guanyou Gamespace has not yet been granted such a permit directly. If the video services conducted by Guanyou Gamespace are later challenged by the SARFT, we may be subject to severe penalties, including fines, or the suspension of our video services or even our operations. If we are ordered to suspend the video services provided under 17173.com Website, our user traffic will be reduced and therefore our revenues derived from online advertising will be negatively affected. In addition, Guanyou Gamespace is in the process of renewing its ICP license and Online Culture Operating Permit to include the 17173 Business. Although we believe that the risk of such license and permit not being renewed is remote, if Guanyou Gamespace is unable to obtain such renewals, we may not be allowed to continue the operation of the 17173 Business or be subject to severe penalties.

In addition, the PRC government may promulgate new laws, rules or regulations at any time. If current or future laws, rules or regulations regarding Internet-related activities are interpreted to be inconsistent with our ownership structure and/or our business operations, our business could be severely impaired and we could be subject to severe penalties.

Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the Internet in China may adversely affect our business, and we may be liable for information displayed on, retrieved from or linked to our Websites.

The PRC government has adopted regulations governing Internet access and the distribution of news and other information over the Internet. Under these regulations, Internet content providers and Internet publishers are prohibited from posting or displaying over the Internet any content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of China, or is obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory. When Internet content providers and Internet publishers, including online game operators, find that information falling within the above scope is transmitted on their Websites or is stored in their electronic bulletin service systems, they are required to terminate the transmission of such information or delete such information immediately, keep records, and report to relevant authorities. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the revocation of our ICP license and other required licenses and the closure of our Websites. Website operators may also be held liable for prohibited information displayed on, retrieved from or linked to their Websites.

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In addition, the MIIT has published regulations that subject Website operators to potential liability for the actions of game players and others using their Websites, including liability for violations of PRC laws prohibiting the dissemination of content deemed to be socially destabilizing.

As these regulations are subject to interpretation by the relevant authorities, it may not be possible for us to determine in all cases the type of content that could result in liability for us as an MMOG developer and operator, a developer and operator (through licensees) of Web-based game and an operator of the 17173 Business. In addition, we may not be able to control or restrict the content of other Internet content providers linked to or accessible through our Websites, or content generated or placed on our Websites by our game players, despite our attempt to monitor such content. To the extent that regulatory authorities find any portion of our content objectionable, they may require us to curtail our games, which may reduce our game player base, the amount of time our games are played or the purchases of virtual items.

We may be subject to the PRC government’s ongoing crackdown on Internet pornographic content.

The Chinese government has stringent regulations on online pornographic information and has launched several crackdowns on Internet pornography in the last year. On December 4, 2009, the MIIT and other three government authorities jointly issued the Incentives Measures for Report of Pornographic, Obscene and Vulgar Messages on Internet and Mobile Media , or the Anti-Pornography Notice, to further crackdown on online pornography. Pursuant to this Anti-Pornography Notice, rewards of up to RMB10,000 will be provided to Internet users who report Websites that feature pornography and a committee has been established by the MIIT to review such reports to determine an appropriate award. We attempt to delete from our relevant channels and communities all Web pages containing material that might be deemed to be pornographic or vulgar under the Anti-Pornography Notice. In addition, we have strengthened our internal censorship and supervision of links and content uploaded by users. We have not, to date, received any penalty from the PRC government in this regard. However, there is no assurance that content considered pornographic or vulgar by PRC government agencies will not appear in the future. In the event that we are accused by the government of hosting pornographic or vulgar content, our reputation could be adversely affected.

There are currently no laws or regulations in the PRC governing property rights of virtual assets and therefore it is not clear what liabilities, if any, we may have relating to the loss of virtual assets by our game players.

In the course of playing our games, some virtual assets, such as game player experience, skills and weaponry, are acquired and accumulated. Such virtual assets can be highly valued by game players and in some cases are traded among game players for real money or assets. In practice, virtual assets can be lost for various reasons, such as data loss caused by delay of network service by a network crash, or by hacking activities. There are currently no PRC laws and regulations governing property rights of virtual assets. As a result, it is unclear who the legal owner of virtual assets is and whether the ownership of virtual assets is protected by law. In addition, it is unclear under PRC law whether an operator of online games such as us would have any liability (whether in contract, tort or otherwise) for loss of such virtual assets by game players. Based on several judgments regarding the liabilities of online game operators for loss of virtual assets by game players, the courts have generally required the online game operators to provide well-developed security systems to protect such virtual assets owned by game players. In the event of a loss of virtual assets, we may be sued by game players and may be held liable for damages.

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Our online game operations may be adversely affected by implementation of new anti-fatigue-related regulations.

The PRC government may decide to adopt more stringent policies to monitor the online game industry as a result of adverse public reaction to perceived addiction to online games, particularly by minors. On April 15, 2007, eight PRC government authorities, including the GAPP, the Ministry of Education and the MIIT issued a notice, or the Anti-Fatigue Notice, requiring all Chinese online game operators to adopt an “anti-fatigue system” in an effort to curb addiction to online games by minors. Under the anti-fatigue system, three hours or less of continuous play is defined to be “healthy,” three to five hours is defined to be “fatiguing,” and five hours or more is defined to be “unhealthy.” Game operators are required to reduce the value of game benefits for minor game players by half when those game players reach the “fatigue” level, and to zero when they reach the “unhealthy” level. In addition, online game players in China are now required to register their identity card numbers before they can play an online game. The anti-fatigue system allows game operators to identify which game players are minors. These restrictions could limit our ability to increase our business among minors. Furthermore, if these restrictions were expanded to apply to adult game players in the future, our business could be materially and adversely affected.

On July 1, 2011, eight PRC government authorities, including the GAPP, the Ministry of Education, MIIT and five others, promulgated a further notice to strengthen the implementation of the anti-fatigue system and real-name registration, entitled Notice on Initializing the verification of Real-name Registration for Anti-Fatigue System on Internet Games , or the Real-name Registration Notice, which took effect on October 1, 2011. The Real-name Registration Notice’s main focus is to prevent minors from using an adult’s ID to play Internet games and, accordingly, the notice provides more stringent punishment for online game operators for not implementing the anti-fatigue and real name registration measures properly and effectively. The most severe punishment contemplated by the Real-name Registration Notice is to require termination of the operation of the online game if it is found to be in violation of the Anti-Fatigue Notice, the circular entitled Implementation of Online Game Monitor System of the Guardians of Minors, or the Monitor System Circular, or the Real-name Registration Notice. The Real-name Registration Notice further increases our operations risks, as we will be required to spend more resources on real-name verification and anti-fatigue systems, which will lead to an increase in operation costs. In addition, the amount of time that minors will be able to spend playing online games such as ours will be further limited, which can be expected to lead to a reduction in our revenues. Furthermore, if we are found to be violating the Real-name Registration Notice, we may be required to suspend or discontinue our online game operations.

The PRC government has begun to tighten its regulation of Internet cafés, which are currently one of the primary places where our games are played. Stricter government regulation of Internet cafés could restrict our ability to maintain or increase our revenues and our game player base.

Internet cafés are one of the primary places where our games are played. In April 2001, the PRC government began tightening its regulation and supervision of Internet cafés. In particular, a large number of Internet cafés without requisite government licenses have been closed. In addition, the PRC government has imposed higher capital and facility requirements for the establishment of Internet cafés. The PRC government’s policy, which encourages the development of a limited number of national and regional Internet café chains and discourages the establishment of independent Internet cafés, may also slow down the growth in the number of new Internet cafés. In February 2007, several central governmental authorities jointly issued a notice suspending the issuance of new Internet café licenses, and the total number of Internet Cafés nationwide is restricted and controlled by the relevant authorities. Governmental authorities may from time to time impose stricter requirements, such as the customers’ age limit and hours of operation, among others, as a result of the occurrence and perception of, and the media attention on, gang fights, arson and other incidents in or related to Internet cafés. So long as Internet cafés remain as one of the primary places for game players to play our games, any reduction in the number, or any slowdown in the growth, of Internet cafés or restrictions in their operations in China could limit our ability to maintain or increase our revenues and our game player base, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations and business prospects.

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Restrictions on virtual currency may adversely affect our online game revenues.

Our online game revenues are collected through the sale of our prepaid cards or online sale of game points. The Notice on the Reinforcement of the Administration of Internet Cafés and Online Games , or the Internet Cafés Notice, jointly issued by the MOC, the People’s Bank of China, or PBOC, and certain other relevant government authorities on February 15, 2007, directs the PBOC, to strengthen the administration of virtual currency in online games to avoid any adverse impact on the PRC economy and financial system. The Internet Cafés Notice provides that the total amount of virtual currency issued by online game operators and the amount purchased by individual users should be strictly limited, with a strict and clear division between virtual transactions and real transactions carried out by way of electronic commerce. The Internet Cafés Notice also provides that virtual currency should only be used to purchase virtual items. On June 4, 2009, the MOC and the MOFCOM jointly issued the Notice on Strengthening the Administration of Online Game Virtual Currency, or the Virtual Currency Notice. In the Virtual Currency Notice, the authorities for the first time define “Virtual Currency” as a type of virtual exchange instrument issued by online game operators, purchased directly or indirectly by the game user by exchanging legal currency at a certain exchange rate, saved outside the game programs, stored in servers provided by the online game operators in electronic record format and represented by specific numeric units. In addition, the Virtual Currency Notice categorizes companies involved with virtual currency as either issuers or trading platforms and prohibits companies from simultaneously engaging both as issuers and as trading platforms. Most importantly, one of the Virtual Currency Notice’s stated intended objectives is to limit the circulation of virtual currency and thereby reduce concerns that it may impact real world inflation. Specifically, the Virtual Currency Notice provides that online game operators are required to report the total amount of their issued virtual currencies on a quarterly basis and game operators are prohibited from issuing disproportionate amounts of virtual currencies in order to generate revenues. In addition, the Virtual Currency Notice reiterates that virtual currency can only be provided to users in exchange for an RMB payment and can only be used to pay for virtual goods and services of the issuers. Online game operators are strictly prohibited from providing lucky draws or lotteries which are conducted on the condition that participants contribute cash or virtual currencies in exchange for game props or virtual currencies. The Virtual Currency Notice also places potentially burdensome obligations on online game operators, including a requirement that operators keep transaction data records for no less than 180 days and a prohibition on operators’ providing virtual currency trading services to minors. In order to comply with the requirements of the Virtual Currency Notice, it may be necessary for us to change our virtual currency distribution channel, and our business model may be affected accordingly and we may put more efforts in consummating our database so as to keep users’ information longer. These restrictions may result in higher costs of our online game operation and lower sales of our prepaid cards or game points, which may have an adverse effect on our online game revenue.

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Our business may be adversely affected by public opinion and governmental policies in China as well as in other jurisdictions where we operate our MMOGs and Web-based games or license our MMOGs and Web-based games to third parties.

Currently, most of our game players in China are young males, many of whom are students. Due to a relatively high degree of game player loyalty to MMOGs or Web-based games, easy access to personal computers and Internet cafés, and the lack of other appealing forms of entertainment in China, many teenagers in China frequently play online games. This may result in these teenagers spending less time on or refraining from other activities, including education, vocational training, sports, and taking rest, which could result in adverse public reaction and stricter government regulation. For example, the PRC government has promulgated anti-fatigue-related regulations to limit the amount of time minors can play online games. See “—Our operations may be adversely affected by implementation of new anti-fatigue-related regulations.” The PRC government has also begun to tighten its regulations on Internet cafés, currently one of the primary places where online games are played, including limiting the issuance of Internet café operating licenses and imposing higher capital and facility requirements for the establishment of Internet cafés. See “—The PRC government has begun to tighten its regulation of Internet cafés, which are currently one of the primary places where our games are played. Stricter government regulation of Internet cafés could restrict our ability to maintain or increase our revenues and our game player base.”

Adverse public opinion could discourage game players from playing our games, and could result in government regulations that impose additional limitations on the operations of online games as well as the game players’ access to online games. For example, in January 2011, the MIIT and six other central government authorities jointly issued the Monitor System Circular under which online game operators are required to adopt various measures to maintain a system to communicate with the parents or other guardians of minors playing online games and are required to monitor the activities of the minors and suspend the accounts of minors if so requested by their parents or guardians. We believe stricter government regulations, such as regulations imposing stricter age and hour limits on Internet cafés, limiting the issuance of virtual currency by online game operators or the amount of virtual currency that can be purchased by an individual game player, or extending anti-fatigue-related regulations to adults, could be implemented in the future. Such adverse public opinion and tightened government regulations could materially and adversely affect our business prospects and our ability to maintain or increase revenues.

In addition, the PRC State Administration of Taxation previously announced that it will tax game players on the income derived from the trading of virtual currencies at the rate of 20%. However, it is currently unclear how the tax will be collected or if there will be any effect on our game players or our business.

Moreover, similar adverse public reaction may arise, and similar government policies may be adopted, in other jurisdictions where we license or operate our games, which could materially and adversely affect our revenues.

The laws and regulations governing the online game industry in China are evolving and subject to future changes. We may fail to obtain or maintain all applicable permits and approvals.

The online game industry in China is highly regulated by the PRC government. Various regulatory authorities of the PRC central government, such as the State Council, the MIIT, the GAPP, the MOC and the Ministry of Public Security, are empowered to issue and implement regulations governing various aspects of the online game industry.

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We are required to obtain applicable permits or approvals from different regulatory authorities in order to operate our online games. For example, as an online game operator in China, we must obtain an Online Cultural Operating Permit from the MOC and an Internet publishing license from the GAPP in order to distribute games through the Internet and, under the GAPP Notice, we must also obtain additional approval from the GAPP for any upgrade, expansion pack or new version of any existing game that has previously been approved by the GAPP. If we fail to maintain any of our permits or approvals or to apply for permits and approvals on a timely basis, we may be subject to various penalties, including fines and the discontinuation or restriction of our operations.

As the online game industry is at an early stage of development in China, new laws and regulations may be adopted from time to time to require additional licenses and permits other than those we currently have, and address new issues that arise. In addition, substantial uncertainties exist regarding the interpretation and implementation of current and any future PRC laws and regulations applicable to the online game industry. For example, there is ambiguity on the regulatory authority and responsibilities between the GAPP and the MOC in regulating online games and, as a result, there may be overlapping approval requirements with respect to the same aspect of our games or our game operation. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain timely, or at all, required licenses or any other new license required in the future. We cannot assure you that we will not be found in violation of any current PRC laws or regulations should their interpretations change, or that we will not be found in violation of any future PRC laws or regulations.

Further strengthened supervision of the online game industry may adversely affect our online game operation.

In the GAPP Notice, the GAPP stated that it is the only governmental department with authority for examination and pre-approval of online games, and that all online game operators must obtain an internet publishing license to provide online game services. Under the GAPP Notice, additional approvals from the GAPP are required when game operators release new versions or expansion packs, or make any changes to the originally approved online game. In addition, on July 1, 2009, the GAPP issued a Notice on Strengthening the Approval and Administration of Imported Online Games, in which the GAPP stated that it is the only governmental department authorized by the State Council to approve the importation of online games from offshore copyright owners. In the event of any failure to meet the above-mentioned requirements, an operator may face heavy penalties, such as being ordered to stop operation, or having its business license revoked. Our online game business may be adversely affected by these two GAPP notices. The launch of expansion packs and imported games might be delayed because of the extra approval required. Such delay in releasing expansion packs or imported games may result in higher costs for our online game operation and have an adverse effect on our game revenue.

On June 3, 2010, the MOC issued the Interim Measures for Online Games Administration , or the Online Game Measures, which became effective on August 1, 2010, aiming to further strengthen the MOC’s supervision of the online game industry. Specifically, the Online Game Measures reiterate that the MOC has the power to review the content of all online games except online game publications that have been pre-approved by the GAPP. However, the Online Game Measures do not clearly specify what constitutes “online game publication.” Furthermore, the Online Game Measures provide that all domestic online games must be filed with the MOC, while all imported online games are subject to a content review prior to their launch. If a substantial change (for example, any significant modification to a game’s storyline, language, tasks, or trading system) is made to an existing imported or domestic online game, it will be subject to a new content review.

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Our online game business may be adversely affected by the Online Game Measures. The Online Game Measures do not set forth any specific procedure for the required filing and content review procedures for online games and therefore may cause delay when we try to file or apply for content review with the MOC. In addition, for our imported licensed games, the requirement for prior approval of any substantial change may cause delay in releasing expansion packs, which may result in higher costs of our online game operation and have an adverse effect on our game revenue. In addition, the Online Game Measures do not resolve certain inconsistencies and ambiguities resulting from pronouncements included in previous notices issued by the GAPP and the MOC. Because there is ambiguity in the scope of the authority and the roles and responsibilities of governmental departments, such as the MOC and the GAPP, with oversight of the online game industry, we may face stricter scrutiny of the day-to-day operations of our online game business. If any of our online game operating entities cannot comply with any of the stipulations of any PRC governmental department regarding the online game industry, we may be subject to various penalties and our online game business may be adversely affected.

Our business may be adversely affected if we cannot obtain a payment service license

On June 14, 2010, the PBOC issued the Administrative Measure on the Payment Services of Non-Financial Institutions, or the Payment Measures, which went into effect on September 1, 2010. Under the Payment Measures, Payment Services are defined as the provision of capital transfer services by non-financial institutions acting as intermediaries, including services rendered in connection with network-based payments, issuance and settlement services for pre-paid cards and acquiring services for bank cards. The Payment Measures require all non-financial institutions engaging in Payment Services to obtain a Payment Service License from the PBOC. The Payment Measures provide a one-year grace period starting September 1, 2010. Failure to obtain a Payment License will lead to the termination of the right to provide payment services. Given that the definition of “network-based payments” in the Payment Measures is vague, we are not sure whether or not our fee collection activity involved in our online game operations would constitute a kind of payment service under the Payment Measures. If we are required to apply for a Payment Service License under the Payment Measures, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the required license in a timely manner. If we cannot obtain such license, our business will be adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Carve-out from Sohu, Our Acquisition of Certain Assets of the 17173 Business from Sohu and Our Continuing Relationship with Sohu

We have limited experience operating as a separate, stand-alone company.

Changyou was formed on August 6, 2007 as an indirect subsidiary of Sohu.com Inc. to hold and operate the MMORPG business of Sohu. Sohu transferred all of its assets, liabilities and operations relating to its MMORPG business to us on December 1, 2007. Although we operated as a business unit within the Sohu Group prior to the carve-out, we have had limited experience in conducting our operations on a separate, stand-alone basis. Our senior management has limited experience working together to manage a separate, stand-alone company. We may encounter operational, administrative and strategic difficulties as we adjust to operating as a separate, stand-alone company, which may cause us to react slower than our competitors to industry changes, may divert our management’s attention from running our business or may otherwise harm our operations. Since we have become a public company, our management team has been required to develop the expertise necessary to comply with the numerous regulatory and other requirements applicable to separate, stand-alone public companies, including requirements relating to corporate governance, listing standards and securities and investor relations issues. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so in a timely and effective manner.

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Because we have limited experience operating as a separate, stand-alone entity, we may find that we need to acquire assets in addition to those contributed to us in connection with our carve-out from Sohu. We may fail to acquire assets that prove to be important to our operations or we may not be able to integrate all of our assets.

Our financial information included in this annual report includes the 17173 Business as if we had owned and operated it throughout each of the years presented and may not be representative of the results that the 17173 Business would have achieved had we owned and operated it during those years.

The consolidated financial statements included in this annual report were prepared as if we had owned and operated the 17173 Business, the acquisition of certain assets of which we completed on December 15, 2011, and our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2010 have been restated accordingly. Our consolidated financial statements as of and for each of the years presented, and our selected consolidated data presented as of and for each of those years as well as the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008, may not necessarily reflect the results of operations, financial position and cash flows we would have experienced with respect to the 17173 Business if we had owned and operated it throughout those years. See “Related Party Transactions—Transactions and Agreements with Sohu” in Item 7, “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” in Item 3 and the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

We may not be able to continue to receive the same level of support from Sohu and may not be successful in establishing our brand identity.

Sohu has been a leading Internet portal in China, and our business has benefited significantly from Sohu’s strong Internet market position in China. For example, we have benefited from marketing and advertising across Sohu’s domains (such as Sohu.com, the Sohu portal), and using Sohu’s email system and the Sohu Group’s single-user ID system, which provide Sohu’s large number of registered users easy access to our games. Following our acquisition of the 17173 Business, Sohu will continue to provide links and advertising space on Sohu’s Websites and related technical support to us in connection with our operation of the 17173 Business. We also benefit from the strong brand recognition of Sohu in China, which has provided us a broad marketing reach.

Although we entered into a series of agreements with Sohu in connection with the carve-out of the MMORPG business from Sohu and our acquisition of the 17173 Business, we cannot assure you we will continue to receive the same level of support from Sohu as we did prior to becoming a separate, stand-alone company or that we will receive adequate support from Sohu for the 17173 Business. In addition, as an entity that is newly separated from Sohu, Changyou as a brand name does not have the same level of recognition as Sohu in China’s Internet market. As a result, the popularity of our products and services may decline as a result of lack of brand recognition. We will need to expend significant time, effort and resources to continue to establish our brand name in the marketplace and our own independent identity. This effort may not be successful. We have applied for trademark registration of Changyou and other related trademarks in China, but we may not be able to obtain such trademarks, or obtain them with the scope we seek.

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Our agreements with Sohu may be less favorable to us than similar agreements negotiated between unaffiliated third parties. In particular, our Non-Competition Agreement with Sohu limits the scope of business that we are allowed to conduct.

We entered into a Master Transaction Agreement with respect to our carve-out from Sohu, a Non-Competition Agreement (which was amended and restated on November 29, 2011), a Marketing Services Agreement and other related agreements with Sohu prior to our initial public offering and the terms of such agreements may be less favorable to us than would be the case if they were negotiated with unaffiliated third parties. In particular, under the Non-Competition Agreement that we entered into with Sohu, we are prohibited during the non-competition period (which commences on January 1, 2009 and ends on the later of three years after Sohu no longer owns in the aggregate at least 10% of the voting power of our then outstanding voting securities and March 17, 2014) from entering into the online portal, search, or mobile value-added services or any other business conducted or contemplated to be conducted by Sohu as of April 1, 2009, except the MMORPG business. As amended and restated on November 29, 2011, the Non-Competition Agreement does not prohibit us from engaging in the 17173 Business and prohibits Sohu from competing with the 17173 Business until December 15, 2016. Sohu currently offers Internet portal, search and mobile value-added services. Such contractual limitations significantly affect our ability to diversify our revenue source and may materially and adversely impact our business and results of operations should the growth of MMOGs in China slow down. In addition, pursuant to the Master Transaction Agreement with respect to our carve-out from Sohu, we agreed to indemnify Sohu for, among other things, liabilities arising from litigation and other contingencies related to our business and assumed these liabilities as part of our carve-out from Sohu. The allocation of assets and liabilities between Sohu and our company may not reflect the allocation that would have been reached by two unaffiliated parties. Moreover, so long as Sohu continues to control us, we may not be able to bring a legal claim against Sohu in the event of contractual breach, notwithstanding our contractual rights under the agreements described above and other inter-company agreements entered into from time to time.

Sohu controls the outcome of shareholder actions in our company.

Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to 10 votes per share. We issued Class A ordinary shares represented by our ADSs in our initial public offering and Sohu holds Class B ordinary shares. As of the date of this annual report, Sohu held approximately 68.0% of the combined total of Changyou’s outstanding Class A and Class B ordinary shares and controlled approximately 81.5% of the total voting power in Changyou. Sohu’s voting power gives it the power to control actions that require shareholder approval under Cayman Islands law, our memorandum and articles of association and NASDAQ requirements, including the election and removal of any member of our Board of Directors, significant mergers and acquisitions and other business combinations, changes to our memorandum and articles of association, the number of shares available for issuance under share incentive plans, and the issuance of significant amounts of our ordinary shares in private placements. Due to the disparate voting powers attached to the two classes of our ordinary shares, Sohu has sufficient voting power to determine the outcome of all matters requiring shareholder approval even if it should, at some point in the future, hold considerably less than a majority of the combined total of our outstanding Class A and Class B ordinary shares.

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Sohu’s voting control may cause transactions to occur that might not be beneficial to the holders of ADSs, and may prevent transactions that would be beneficial to them. For example, Sohu’s voting control may prevent a transaction involving a change of control of us, including transactions in which a holder of our ADSs might otherwise receive a premium for such securities over the then-current market price. In addition, Sohu is not prohibited from selling a controlling interest in us to a third party and may do so without approval of the holders of our ADSs and without providing for a purchase of outstanding ADSs. If Sohu is acquired or otherwise undergoes a change of control, any acquiror or successor will be entitled to exercise the voting control and contractual rights of Sohu, and may do so in a manner that could vary significantly from that of Sohu.

We may have conflicts of interest with Sohu and, because of Sohu’s controlling ownership interest in our company, may not be able to resolve such conflicts on favorable terms for us.

Conflicts of interest may arise between Sohu and us in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships. Potential conflicts of interest that we have identified include the following:

Employee recruiting and retention. Because both Sohu and we operate primarily in Beijing and, after our acquisition of the 17173 Business, both Sohu and we are engaged in the development and operation of online portals and the operation of Web-based games, we may compete with Sohu in the hiring of new employees, in particular with respect to software development. We have a non-solicitation arrangement with Sohu that restricts Sohu and us from hiring any of the other’s employees.

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We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts, and even if we do so, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated shareholder. Even if both parties seek to transact business on terms intended to approximate those that could have been achieved among unaffiliated parties, this may not succeed in practice.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Adverse changes in political and economic policies of the PRC government could have a material and adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our products.

Most of our business operations are conducted in China and most of our revenues are generated in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects are affected significantly by economic, political and legal developments in China. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, the level of development, the growth rate, the control of foreign exchange, and the allocation of resources.

While the Chinese economy has grown significantly in the past 30 years, the growth has been uneven geographically among various sectors of the economy, and during different periods. The Chinese economy may not continue to grow, and if there is growth, such growth may not be steady and uniform; if there is a slowdown, such a slowdown may have a negative effect on our business. For example, the Chinese economy experienced high inflation in the second half of 2007 and the first half of 2008. China’s consumer price index soared 7.9% during the six months ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the same period in 2007. To combat inflation and prevent the economy from overheating, the PRC government adopted a number of tightening macroeconomic measures and monetary policies, including increasing interest rates, raising statutory reserve rates for banks and controlling bank lending to certain industries and economic sectors. Due in part to the impact of the global crisis in financial services and credit markets and other factors, the growth rate of China’s gross domestic product decreased to as low as 6.2% in the first quarter of 2009, down from 11.9% reached in the second quarter of 2007. As a result, beginning in September 2008, among other measures, the PRC government began to loosen macroeconomic measures and monetary policies by reducing interest rates and decreasing the statutory reserve rates for banks and in November 2008 the PRC government announced an economic stimulus package in the amount of $586 billion. The Chinese economy once again experienced high inflation in 2010 and 2011, with China’s consumer price index increasing 4.2% for November 2011 compared with that of November 2010. To curb the accelerating inflation, the PBOC, China’s central bank, raised benchmark interest rates three times in 2011. The various macroeconomic measures and monetary policies adopted by the PRC government to guide economic growth and the allocation of resources may not be effective in sustaining the current growth rate of the Chinese economy. In addition, such measures, even if they benefit the overall Chinese economy in the long run, may have an adverse effect on us if they reduce the disposable income of our game players or if they cause our advertising clients to reduce their spending for our online advertising services on the 17173.com Website.

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Uncertainties with respect to the Chinese legal system could have a material adverse effect on us.

We conduct substantially all of our operations through our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in the PRC, AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information, and our variable interest entities in the PRC, Gamease and its majority-owned subsidiary 7Road, Guanyou Gamespace, and Shanghai ICE. Our PRC subsidiaries are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China and, in particular, laws applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises, or WFOEs. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, PRC legislation and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties. We cannot predict the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, the preemption of local regulations by national laws, or the overturn of local government’s decisions by the higher level government. These uncertainties may limit legal protections available to us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

Contract drafting, interpretation and enforcement in China involve significant uncertainty.

We have entered into numerous contracts governed by PRC law, many of which are material to our business. As compared with contracts in the United States, contracts governed by PRC law tend to contain less detail and are not as comprehensive in defining contracting parties’ rights and obligations. As a result, contracts in China are more vulnerable to disputes and legal challenges. In addition, contract interpretation and enforcement in China is not as developed as in the United States, and the result of any contract dispute is subject to significant uncertainties. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to disputes under our material contracts, and if such disputes arise, we cannot assure you that we will prevail. Due to the materiality of certain contracts to our business, such as our license agreements with Louis Cha regarding our rights to develop and operate TLBB and DMD, any dispute involving such contracts, even without merit, may materially and adversely affect our reputation and our business operations, and may cause the price of our ADSs to decline.

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PRC laws and regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to make acquisitions in China.

PRC laws and regulations, such as the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors , or the M&A Rules, the Anti-Monopoly Law and the MOFCOM Security Review Rules, mandate procedures and requirements, including requirements in some instances that the MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investors takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, or that the approval from the MOFCOM be obtained in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated domestic companies, that are expected to make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. PRC laws and regulations also require certain merger and acquisition transactions to be subject a security review. The MOFCOM Security Review Rules, which became effective September 1, 2011, provide that, when deciding whether a specific merger or acquisition of a domestic enterprise by foreign investors is subject to a security review by the MOFCOM, the principle of substance over form should be applied and foreign investors are prohibited from bypassing the security review requirement by structuring transactions through proxies, trusts, indirect investments, leases, loans, or control through contractual arrangements. If the business of any target company that we plan to acquire falls into the ambit of security review, we may not be able to successfully acquire such company. Complying with the requirements of the relevant regulation to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval process, including approval from the MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business.

There are significant uncertainties under the new corporate income tax law of the PRC, or the New CIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, regarding our PRC enterprise income tax liabilities, such as tax on dividends paid to us by our PRC subsidiaries. The New CIT Law also contains uncertainties regarding possible PRC withholding tax on dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders and gains realized from the transfer of our shares by our overseas shareholders.

We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, which indirectly holds, through our Hong Kong subsidiaries Changyou.com HK Limited, or Changyou HK, and ICE Entertainment (HK) Limited, or ICE HK, our equity interest in AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information, our subsidiaries in the PRC. Our business operations are principally conducted through these PRC subsidiaries together with their subsidiaries and our VIEs Gamease and its majority owned subsidiary 7Road, Guanyou Gamespace, and Shanghai ICE. The New CIT Law and its implementation rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008, provide that China-sourced income of foreign enterprises, such as dividends paid by a PRC subsidiary to its overseas parent, will normally be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of 10%, unless there are applicable tax treaties that reduce such rate. Under the Arrangement Between the PRC and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital , or China-HK Tax Arrangement, which became effective on January 1, 2007, the dividend withholding tax rate may be reduced to 5%, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise is considered a non-PRC resident enterprise and holds at least 25% of the equity interests in the PRC enterprise distributing the dividends, subject to approval of the PRC local tax authority. However, if the Hong Kong resident enterprise is not considered to be the beneficial owner of such dividends under applicable PRC tax regulations, such dividends may remain subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10%. On October 27, 2009, the PRC State Administration of Taxation issued a Notice on How to Understand and Determine the Beneficial Owners in Tax Agreement , or Circular 601, which provides guidance on determining whether an enterprise is a “beneficial owner” under China’s tax treaties and tax arrangements. Circular 601 provides that, in order to be a beneficial owner, an entity generally must be engaged in substantive business activities. It also sets forth a list of factors, the existence of which generally does not provide support that the treaty resident is a beneficial owner. An agent or conduit company, which refers to a company that is set up for the purpose of avoiding or reducing taxes or transferring or accumulating profits, will not be regarded as a beneficial owner and, therefore, will not qualify for treaty benefits such as preferential dividend withholding tax rates. If any of our Hong Kong subsidiaries is, in the light of Circular 601, considered to be a non-beneficial owner for purpose of the China-HK Tax Arrangement, any dividends paid to it by any of our PRC subsidiaries would not qualify for the preferential dividend withholding tax rate of 5%, but rather would be subject to the usual New CIT Law rate of 10%.

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Under the New CIT Law, enterprises established under the laws of jurisdictions outside China with their “de facto management bodies” located within China may be considered to be PRC tax resident enterprises for tax purposes. A substantial majority of the members of our management team as well as the management teams of Changyou HK and ICE HK are located in China. If we, Changyou HK or ICE HK are considered as a PRC tax resident enterprise under the above definition, then our global income will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25%.

Furthermore, the implementation rules of the New CIT Law provide that, (i) if the enterprise that distributes dividends is domiciled in the PRC, or (ii) if gains are realized from transferring equity interests of enterprises domiciled in the PRC, then such dividends or capital gains are treated as China-sourced income. It is not clear how “domicile” may be interpreted under the New CIT Law, and it may be interpreted as the jurisdiction where the enterprise is a tax resident. It is not clear whether we, Changyou HK and ICE HK will be deemed as tax resident under the New CIT Law. Although we intend to take the position that any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders or ADS holders will not be subject to a withholding tax in the PRC, if we, Changyou HK and ICE HK are considered as a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders or ADS holders as well as gains realized by such shareholders or ADS holders from the transfer of our shares or ADSs may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate up to 10%.

Due to the lack of interpretation of the New CIT Law, it is difficult to ascertain how it will be implemented by the relevant PRC tax authorities. If dividend payments from Changyou HK or ICE HK to us are subject to PRC withholding tax, our financial condition, results of operations and the amount of dividends available to pay our shareholders may be adversely affected. If dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders or ADS holders or gains realized by such shareholders or ADS holders from the transfer of our shares or ADSs are subject to PRC withholding tax, it may materially and adversely affect their investment return and the value of their investments in us.

Certain of our PRC subsidiaries and VIEs are qualified as “High and New Technology Enterprises” (or NHTEs) or “Software Enterprises” and enjoy tax benefits under the New CIT Law. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to enjoy such tax benefits. If the status of any of our PRC subsidiaries or VIEs as an NHTE or Software Enterprise is repealed, we may have to pay additional taxes to make up any previously unpaid tax and may be subject to a higher tax rate, which may materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

The New CIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, applies a uniform statutory income tax rate of 25% to enterprises in China. Under the New CIT Law, NHTEs enjoy a favorable tax rate of 15%. The implementation rules promulgated under the New CIT Law also emphasizes that the ownership of “core proprietary intellectual property” is essential to qualification for this preferential tax rate. AmazGame and Gamease were subject to a 15% income tax rate as NHTEs for the 2012 fiscal year.

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The New CIT Law and the implementation rules promulgated under the New CIT Law provide that Software Enterprises enjoy an income tax exemption for two years beginning with their first profitable year and a 50% tax reduction to a rate of 12.5% for the subsequent three years. Both AmazGame and Gamease were established in 2007, qualified as Software Enterprises in 2008 and were subject to a 0% income tax rate for the full year 2008 and a 50% tax reduction for the fiscal years 2009, 2010 and 2011. 7Road qualified as a Software Enterprise in 2009 and enjoyed an income tax exemption for the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years and a 50% tax reduction to a rate of 12.5% for the fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Both ICE Information and Shanghai ICE qualified as Software Enterprises in 2008, and both Gamespace and Guanyou Gamespace qualified as Software Enterprises in 2010. Shanghai ICE was subject to a 0% income tax rate for the full years 2010 and 2011 and a 50% tax reduction for the subsequent three years, and ICE Information, Gamespace and Guanyou Gamespace will enjoy income tax benefits as Software Enterprises beginning with their first profitable year.

As the New CIT Law and its implementation rules are relatively recent, there are uncertainties on their future interpretation and implementation. We cannot assure you that the qualification of AmazGame and Gamease as NHTEs, or the qualification of AmazGame, Gamease, Gamespace, Guanyou Gamespace, ICE Information, Shanghai ICE and 7Road as Software Enterprises by the relevant authorities will not be challenged in the future by their supervising authorities and be repealed, or that there will not be future implementation rules that are inconsistent with current interpretation of the New CIT Law. If the tax benefits AmazGame, Gamease, Gamespace, Guanyou Gamespace, ICE Information, Shanghai ICE and 7Road enjoy as NHTEs or Software Enterprises are revoked, and we are otherwise unable to qualify AmazGame, Gamease, Gamespace, Guanyou Gamespace, ICE Information, Shanghai ICE and 7Road for other income tax exemptions or reductions, our effective income tax rate will increase significantly. In addition, we may have to pay additional taxes to make up any previously unpaid tax. As a result, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

To fund any cash requirements we may have, we may need to rely on dividends, loans or advances made by our PRC subsidiaries, AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information, which are subject to limitations and possible taxation under applicable PRC laws and regulations.

We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity, or loans and advances made by our Chinese subsidiaries, AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information, to fund any cash requirements we may have, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions, if any, to our shareholders or ADS holders, and to service any debt we may incur. The distribution of dividends and the making of loans and advances by entities organized in China are subject to limitations. Regulations in the PRC currently permit payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits as determined in accordance with accounting standards and regulations in China. Each of AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information is also required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards each year to its general reserves until the cumulative amount of such reserves reaches 50% of its registered capital. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends, loans or advances. AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information may also allocate a portion of their after-tax profits, as determined by their Board of Directors, to their staff welfare and bonus funds, which may not be distributed to us. In addition, if any of AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.

Furthermore, under regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE, the RMB is not convertible into foreign currencies for capital account items, such as loans, repatriation of investments and investments outside of China, unless the prior approval of the SAFE is obtained and prior registration with the SAFE is made.

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In addition, there are uncertainties under the New CIT Law with regard to the PRC withholding tax on dividends paid by AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information to Changyou HK or ICE HK. See “Risk Factors—Risks related to Doing Business in China—There are significant uncertainties under the new Corporate Income Tax Law of the PRC, or the New CIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, regarding our PRC enterprise income tax liabilities, such on tax on dividends paid to us by our PRC subsidiaries. The New CIT Law also contains uncertainties regarding possible PRC withholding tax on dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders and gains realized from the transfer of our shares by our overseas shareholders” in Item 3. Should such dividends be subject to PRC withholding tax or be subject to the usual New CIT Law withholding tax rate of 10% rather than the preferential dividend withholding tax rate of 5% provided under the China-HK Tax Arrangement, the amount of cash available to us for our cash needs, including for the payment of dividends to our shareholders or ADS holders, would be materially and adversely affected.

Furthermore, we control our operating entities in China, Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, through contractual arrangements rather than equity ownership. AmazGame entered into a Technology Development and Support Agreement and an Operation and Maintenance Agreement with Gamease, pursuant to which Gamease will pay AmazGame for the services AmazGame provides to Gamease. Gamespace entered into a Technology Development and Support Agreement and an Operation and Maintenance Agreement with Guanyou Gamespace, pursuant to which Guanyou Gamespace will pay Gamespace for the services Gamespace provides to Guanyou Gamespace. ICE Information entered into an Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement, an Exclusive Technology Consulting and Service Agreement and a Business Operation Agreement with Shanghai ICE, pursuant to which Shanghai ICE will pay ICE Information for the services ICE Information provides to Shanghai ICE. See “Related Party Transactions” in Item 7. To the extent that there is any distributable profit in Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE, it may be difficult for Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace or Shanghai ICE to distribute such profit to AmazGame, Gamespace or ICE Information, which may further limit the amount that AmazGame, Gamespace or ICE Information can distribute to us.

Fluctuation in the value of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on our shareholders’ investment.

The change in value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar, Euro and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the U.S. dollar. Under the policy, the RMB is permitted to fluctuate within a narrow and managed band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. This change in policy has resulted in an approximately 21.3% appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar between July 21, 2005 and December 31, 2009. Provisions on Administration of Foreign Exchange, as amended in August 2008, further changed China’s exchange regime to a managed floating exchange rate regime based on market supply and demand. While the international reaction to the RMB revaluation has generally been positive, there remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt an even more flexible currency policy, which could result in a further and more significant appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar. On June 19, 2010, the PBOC announced that it had decided to proceed further with the reform of the RMB exchange rate regime to enhance the flexibility of the RMB exchange rate and that emphasis would be placed on reflecting market supply and demand with reference to a basket of currencies. While so indicating its intention to make the RMB’s exchange rate more flexible, the PBOC ruled out any sharp fluctuations in the currency or a one-off adjustment. Shortly after this announcement, the center point of the currency’s official trading band broke through the 6.8 barrier to hit 6.7968 to the U.S. dollar, and hit 6.2937 on February 10, 2012, which is the highest center point of the past five years. In 2010 and 2011, the appreciation of RMB against U.S. dollar reached 3.4% and 5% in total, respectively. As substantially all of our costs and expenses are denominated in RMB, the revision in exchange rate policy effected in July 2005 has increased, and potential future revisions could further increase, our costs and expenses in U.S. dollar terms. Our proceeds from overseas financings, such as our initial public offering, and from overseas games operations will decrease in value if we choose not to or are unable to convert the proceeds into RMB and the RMB appreciates against the U.S. dollar, which may reduce the value of a shareholder’s investment in our ADSs.

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Regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our ability to acquire PRC companies and could adversely affect our business.

In October 2005, SAFE promulgated Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Corporate Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles , or Circular 75, SAFE has further issued a series of implementation guidance, including the most recent Notice of SAFE on Printing and Distributing the Implementing Rules for the Administration of Foreign Exchange in Fund-Raising and Round-trip Investment Activities of Domestic Residents Conducted via Offshore Special Purpose Companies , or Circular 19, which came into effect on July 1, 2011. These regulations state that if PRC residents use assets of, or equity interests in, their PRC entities as capital contributions to establish offshore companies or inject assets of, or equity interests in, their PRC entities into offshore companies to raise capital overseas, they must register with local SAFE branches with respect to their overseas investments in offshore companies. They must also file amendments to their registrations if their offshore companies experience material events involving capital variation, such as changes in share capital, share transfers, mergers and acquisitions, spin-off transactions, long-term equity or debt investments or uses of assets in China to guarantee offshore obligations. Under these regulations, their failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in such regulation may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant PRC entity, including the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent, as well as restrictions on capital inflows from the offshore entity to the PRC entity.

Prior to our initial public offering, we requested that our shareholders who were PRC residents make the necessary applications, filings and amendments as required under Circular 75 and other related rules. We attempt to comply with the relevant requirements. However, we cannot provide any assurances that all of our shareholders who are PRC residents will comply with our request to make or obtain any applicable registrations or comply with other requirements required by Circular 75 or other related rules. In addition, Circular 19 provides for certain new requirements as to registration procedures. For example, to apply for registration of a PRC resident’s investment in an offshore special purpose vehicle, the PRC resident must submit supporting documents evidencing such resident’s equity interest in the assets or equities of the PRC company. It is still uncertain how the new guidance will be interpreted and implemented and it may be difficult for our ultimate shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents to provide sufficient supporting documents required by SAFE or to complete the required registration with SAFE in a timely manner, or at all. Any future failure by any of our shareholders who is a PRC resident, or controlled by a PRC resident, to comply with relevant requirements under these regulations could subject us to fines or sanctions imposed by the PRC government, including restrictions on the ability of AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information to pay dividends or make distributions to us and our ability to increase our investment in AmazGame, Gamespace and ICE Information.

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SAFE rules and regulations may limit our ability to transfer the net proceeds from our initial public offering to Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, our VIEs in the PRC, which may adversely affect the business expansion of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, and we may not be able to convert the net proceeds from our initial public offering into RMB to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies, or establish other VIEs in the PRC.

On August 29, 2008, SAFE promulgated Circular 142, a notice regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested company of foreign currency into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. The notice requires that the registered capital of a foreign-invested company settled in RMB converted from foreign currencies may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the applicable governmental authority and may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. In addition, SAFE strengthened its oversight of the flow and use of the registered capital of a foreign-invested company settled in RMB converted from foreign currencies. The use of such RMB capital may not be changed without SAFE’s approval, and may not in any case be used to repay RMB loans if the proceeds of such loans have not been used. Violations of Circular 142 will result in severe penalties, such as heavy fines. As a result, Circular 142 may significantly limit our ability to transfer the net proceeds from our initial public offering to Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE through our subsidiaries in the PRC, which may adversely affect the business expansion of Gamease, Guanyou Gamespace and Shanghai ICE, and we may not be able to convert the net proceeds from our initial public offering into RMB to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies, or establish other VIEs in the PRC.

We may be subject to fines and legal sanctions if we or our employees who are PRC citizens fail to comply with recent PRC regulations relating to employee stock options granted by overseas listed companies to PRC citizens.

On December 25, 2006, the PBOC issued the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control , and its Implementation Rules were issued by SAFE on January 5, 2007, which both have taken effect on February 1, 2007. Under these regulations, all foreign exchange matters involved in an employee stock holding plan, stock option plan or similar plan in which PRC citizens participate require approval from the SAFE or its authorized branch. On March 28, 2007, SAFE promulgated the Application Procedure of Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Employee Stock Holding Plan or Stock Option Plan of Overseas Listed Company, or the Stock Option Rule. Under the Stock Option Rule, PRC citizens, who are granted stock options or restricted share units or issued restricted shares by an overseas publicly listed company, are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed company, to register with the SAFE or its authorized branch and to comply with a series of other procedures and requirements. We and our employees who are PRC citizens and have been granted stock options or restricted share units, or issued restricted shares are subject to the Stock Option Rule. In February 2012, the SAFE approved our application to designate our PRC subsidiary AmazGame to handle registrations and other procedures required by the Stock Option Rule. If we and our PRC employees who hold options, restricted share units or restricted shares fail to comply with these registration or other procedural requirements, we and such employees may be subject to fines and other legal sanctions.

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Risks Related to Our Class A Ordinary Shares and ADSs

We are a Cayman Islands company and, because judicial precedent regarding the rights of shareholders is more limited under Cayman Islands law than that under U.S. law, our shareholders may have less protection for their shareholder rights than they would under U.S. law.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Cayman Islands Companies Law and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against our directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws.

Holders of our ADSs may have difficulty enforcing judgments obtained against us.

We are a Cayman Islands company and all of our assets are located outside the United States. Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, all of our directors and executive officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. A substantial portion of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for holders of our ADSs to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. It may also be difficult for holders of our ADSs to enforce in Cayman Islands courts or PRC courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, most of whom are not residents in the United States and the substantial majority of whose assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands or the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules and, as a result, we rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that provide protection to shareholders of other companies.

Because Sohu owns more than 50% of the total voting power of our ordinary shares, we are a “controlled company” under the NASDAQ Stock Market Rules. We rely on certain exemptions that are available to controlled companies from NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, including the requirements:

We are not required to and will not voluntarily meet these requirements. As a result of our use of the “controlled company” exemptions, holders of our ADSs will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of NASDAQ’s corporate governance requirements.

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The market price for our ADSs has been and may continue to be volatile.

The trading price of our ADSs has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations. During the period from April 2, 2009, the first day of trading of our ADSs on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, until February 28, 2012, the trading price of our ADSs ranged from $19.00 to $52.00 per ADS, and the closing sale price on February 24, 2012 was $26.32 per ADS. The market price for our ADSs may continue to be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:

In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of particular industries or companies. Such market fluctuations may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our ADSs.

Holders of our ADSs may be subject to limitations on transfer of their ADSs.

Our ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems it expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary deem it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the Deposit Agreement, or for any other reason.

Holders of ADSs have limited voting rights and may not receive voting materials in time to be able to exercise their right to vote.

Except as described in this annual report and in the Deposit Agreement, holders of our ADSs will not be able to exercise voting rights attaching to the shares represented by our ADSs on an individual basis. Holders of our ADSs may instruct the depositary how to exercise the voting rights attaching to the shares represented by the ADSs. Holders may not receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote, and it is possible that direct holders of ADSs, or persons who hold their ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote. In addition, due to the different voting powers attached to the two classes of our ordinary shares, our controlling shareholder, Sohu, our Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, Tao Wang, and certain of our directors, officers and key employees, all of which hold our Class B ordinary shares, control 98% of the combined total voting power of our ordinary shares. As a result, the ability of holders of our ADSs to affect the outcome of any matter subject to shareholder vote is very limited.

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ADS holders’ right to participate in any future rights offerings may be limited, which may cause dilution to their holdings and ADS holders may not receive cash dividends if it is impractical to make them available to such holders.

We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make rights available to ADS holders in the United States unless we register the securities to which the rights relate under the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act, or an exemption from registration requirements is available. Also, under the Deposit Agreement, the depositary bank will not make rights available to ADS holders unless the distribution to ADS holders of both the rights and any related securities are either registered under the Securities Act or exempted from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. Moreover, we may not be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, holders of our ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in their holdings.

In addition, the depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. ADS holders will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares such holders’ ADSs represent. However, the depositary may, at its discretion, decide that it is inequitable or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, the depositary may determine that it is not practicable to distribute certain property through the mail, or that the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them, or that the distribution requires certain governmental approval, such as requirement for registration or approval for currency conversion. In these cases, the depositary may decide not to distribute that property and ADSs holders will not receive that distribution.

ADS holder will experience dilution when additional Class A ordinary shares or Class B ordinary shares are issued in settlement of restricted share units or upon exercise of options.

ADS holders will experience dilution to the extent that additional Class A ordinary shares are issued upon settlement of restricted share units or exercise of outstanding options that we may grant from time to time. As of February 28, 2012, there were 455,000 Class B restricted share units outstanding, with each such restricted share unit settleable upon vesting by the issuance of one Class B ordinary share, and 1,069,650 Class A restricted share units outstanding, with each such restricted share unit settleable upon vesting by the issuance of one Class A ordinary share.

We may need additional capital and may sell additional ADSs or other equity securities or incur indebtedness, which could result in additional dilution to our shareholders or increase our debt service obligations.

We may require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our cash resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity securities or equity-linked debt securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

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Substantial future sales of our ADSs or ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the price of our ADSs to decline.

Additional sales of our ADSs or ordinary shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our ADSs to decline. As of February 28, 2012, there were 21,249,800 of our Class A ordinary shares and 84,290,000 of our Class B ordinary shares outstanding. As of February 28, 2012, there were 455,000 Class B restricted share units outstanding, with each such restricted share unit settleable upon vesting by the issuance of one Class B ordinary share, and 1,069,650 Class A restricted share units outstanding, with each such restricted share unit settleable upon vesting by the issuance of one Class A ordinary share. In addition, we may grant or sell additional options, restricted shares or other share-based awards in the future under our share incentive plan to our management, employees and other persons, the settlement and sale of which may further dilute our shares and drive down the price of our ADSs.

We might be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

A non-U.S. corporation will be considered a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets during a taxable year) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. We expect that we will not be treated as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our current taxable year ending November 30, 2012. Our expectation is based on our current and anticipated operations and composition of our earnings and assets (including goodwill) for the 2012 taxable year, including the current and expected valuation of our assets based on the market price of our ADSs. However, we currently hold, and expect to continue to hold following this annual report, a substantial amount of cash and the value of our other assets may be based in part on the market price of our ADSs, which is likely to fluctuate in the future (and may fluctuate considerably given that market prices of Internet and online game companies historically have been especially volatile). Furthermore, it is not entirely clear how the contractual arrangements between us and our consolidated variable interest entities will be treated for purposes of the PFIC rules. In addition, our actual PFIC status for any taxable year will not be determinable until the close of such taxable year. Accordingly, there is no guarantee that we will not be a PFIC for any taxable year. PFIC status depends on the composition of our assets and income and the value of our assets (including, among others, a pro rata portion of the income and assets of each regarded subsidiary in which we own, directly or indirectly, at least 25% (by value) of the equity interest) from time to time. If we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a United States holder held an ADS or a Class A ordinary share, certain adverse United States federal income tax consequences could apply to the U.S. holder. See “Taxation—United States Federal Income Taxation—Passive Foreign Investment Company” in Item 10.

Recent press reports concerning possible increased scrutiny by Chinese authorities of the VIE structure used by us and various other Chinese companies publicly-traded in the United States appear to have created concern among investors and caused the price of our ADSs to drop, and such reports may have such an effect in the future.

Recently, various prominent western news outlets have reported that the PRC Ministry of Commerce and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, among other Chinese regulatory authorities, may be considering increased scrutiny or enhanced regulation of Chinese companies that use VIE structures as a means of complying with Chinese laws prohibiting or restricting foreign ownership of certain businesses in China, including online game and online advertising. Some of such news reports have also sought to draw a connection between recent widely reported accounting issues at certain Chinese companies and the use of VIE structures. Such news reports appear to have had the effect of causing significant drops in the market prices of the shares of several Chinese companies. While we believe, even if any such Chinese regulatory authorities were to increase scrutiny of VIE structures or adopt regulations specifically governing their use, that the possibility is remote that any such scrutiny would have a material adverse impact on us or cause us to change our existing operational structure in any materially adverse way, it is possible that there will be such increased scrutiny or enhanced regulation in the future. In addition, while we are not aware of any causal connection between the recently reported accounting scandals and the use of VIE structures, it is possible that investors in our ADSs will believe that such a connection exists. Any of such circumstances could lead to further loss of investor confidence in Chinese companies such as ours and cause fluctuations in the market prices of our ADSs and, if such prices were to drop sharply, could subject us to shareholder litigation, which could cause the price for our shares to drop further.

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