'The Second Country', Will Netmarble's Big Hit Game? [Buaeri's Game Dictionary]

"Second Country is enough to stir your emotions." (Kwon Young-sik, CEO of Netmarble) Netmarble will launch the mobile role-playing game (RPG) 'Second Country: Cross World' in five regions including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau this June. Although Netmarble had relatively successful titles like 'The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross' and 'Seven Knights,' it has been noted that the company lacks a so-called 'blockbuster game' like NCSoft's 'Lineage' or Nexon's 'Dungeon & Fighter.' Industry attention is focused on whether Second Country, an ambitious work infused with Studio Ghibli's sensibility, will become Netmarble's representative hit.

'Emotional Gamble'... Will it become a hit?

On the morning of the 14th, Netmarble held a media showcase at its new headquarters located in Guro-gu, Seoul, unveiling the new title Second Country. It is Netmarble's ambitious project, developed over three years with a team of 150 people.

Second Country is a mobile reinterpretation of the RPG 'Ni no Kuni,' a collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli. Netmarble took a gamble with 3D graphics using a 'cartoon rendering' style that feels like watching an animation, and music by the master composer Joe Hisaishi. The released video strongly evoked the feeling of Studio Ghibli, which produced 'Howl's Moving Castle.' Moreover, the OST, featuring Joe Hisaishi who directed music for Ghibli animations, was enough to stimulate emotions.

The Second Country revealed to reporters that day created an impression akin to watching a masterpiece animation, blending OST and 3D graphics. Park Beom-jin, head of development at Netmarble Neo, explained, "We aimed to provide an experience of 'becoming the protagonist of a masterpiece' based on a worldview where fantasy and reality coexist, with visuals and music imbued with craftsmanship."

Netmarble gave five different characters unique personalities and stories to help users focus on the Second Country worldview. It is also characterized by allowing users to enjoy battles with different patterns depending on special skills and weapon choices. Elements for user interaction were also introduced. Users can play with others using sound-producing statues, soccer balls, dice, and more. The 'Kingdom' content was added as well. The guild content 'Kingdom' can be developed by investing resources obtained from battles and exploration, and its design can be customized according to preferences. The company stated, "The throne battle to determine the best Kingdom will be a core fun element."

Netmarble Advocates 'Fair Game'

Netmarble emphasized that Second Country is a game that can be enjoyed without spending money. Jo Shin-hwa, head of Netmarble's business division, said, "We avoid balance relying on low probabilities," adding, "It is a form where you can fully enjoy the game even without making payments."

Netmarble also took a straightforward approach to the controversial 'probability items (gacha)' in the gaming industry. CEO Kwon said, "Since it is a major issue in the industry, the company has a direction to disclose probabilities as much as possible," and "Newly serviced games will aggressively disclose (probabilities)."

Kwon Young-sik, CEO of Netmarble

Impact on Netmarble Neo's IPO

Second Country is expected to influence the initial public offering (IPO) of Netmarble's development subsidiary, Netmarble Neo. CEO Kwon said regarding the listing, "The selection of the underwriter has been completed, and the success of Second Country will greatly affect Netmarble Neo's IPO," adding, "If there are good results after the release in the first half of the year, we plan to proceed with the listing schedule accordingly."

The related industry is also paying attention to the results. The securities industry named Second Country as Netmarble's biggest anticipated title for the first half of the year and gave a positive outlook for its success. Second Country is estimated to generate daily sales of 1.7 billion KRW. Netmarble's estimated performance for the first quarter of this year is sales of 628.4 billion KRW and operating profit of 87.5 billion KRW, representing increases of 17.9% and 328.2% respectively compared to the previous year.

Editor's Note The goal of 'Game Dictionary' is to understand and clearly convey game-related issues every weekend. We always listen to incidents and various voices arising from games. Any tips are always welcome.