From 'Kart' to 'Mew'... Long-Running Games Over 10 Years Hit Big on Mobile

KartRider Rush Plus Maintains No.1 Spot in Both Major App Markets
MU Archangel Ranks 3rd in Google Play Revenue... Competing with Lineage Brothers

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-gyu Lee] Domestic representative long-running games that have been around for more than 10 years, from 'KartRider (Kart)' to 'Mu,' are showcasing their enduring appeal through mobile versions. Not only have they rekindled nostalgia for games that dominated the 2000s among existing users on mobile platforms, but they have also been successful in attracting new users.

According to the gaming industry on the 6th, Kart Rush Plus, released on the 12th of last month, is ranked number one in popular game rankings on both major application markets, Google Play and Apple App Store. In app market revenue rankings, it holds first place on the Apple App Store and tenth on Google Play, causing a seismic shift in the mobile game market, which is dominated by massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), with its racing genre.

Kart Rush Plus is a mobile game based on the intellectual property (IP) of the PC game 'Kart,' which was released in 2004 and has been loved for 16 years. Kart has a strong fan base, with 28 million domestic members and 380 million global members.

Kart Rush Plus has evolved to present a more sophisticated version of Kart compared to the original, allowing players to customize their karts with paint jobs and stickers. Because of this, more than 5 million people participated in the pre-registration before its release. This is the highest record among mobile games released by Nexon to date. Riding this wave of enthusiasm, Nexon is planning a nationwide tournament project for Kart Rush Plus. They intend to actively support various organizations such as workplaces and clubs to hold Kart Rush Plus competitions.

Webzen's representative PC game 'Mu Online' IP-based 'Mu Archangel' is also making waves in the mobile game market. From the early stages of its release, it surpassed Chinese mobile games to rank third in Google Play revenue, closely chasing the Lineage series. It also ranked eighth in revenue on the Apple App Store, marking early success.

Released on the 27th of last month, Mu Archangel is a mobile MMORPG that analyzes the strengths of Mu Online and brings them to the mobile platform. It is praised for implementing most game elements identically, including the original game system, main content, character growth curve, and item acquisition methods. Mu Online, released by Webzen in 2001, is Korea's first 3D PC MMORPG. It is a long-running game now in its 20th year, having gained popularity in Korea and the Chinese-speaking regions during the 2000s.

The industry expects that as new game member registrations for Mu Archangel steadily increase, Webzen's revenue will grow, making long-term success possible. Dong-hwan Oh, a researcher at Samsung Securities, said, "Since it ranks just after Lineage2M and LineageM in revenue rankings, it is possible to achieve daily sales exceeding 500 million won initially," adding, "This proves the high popularity of the Mu IP again and will increase Webzen's IP value." Webzen also states that there is sufficient additional content for long-term success. A Webzen representative said, "We have already secured about a year's worth of content updates," and added, "We plan to prepare the first major update and events soon to attract more users."