[People人] 'Taekjin Hyung' Reclaims Throne After Setting Record-Breaking Daily Sales Legend

Kim Taek-jin NCSoft CEO

Struggles with Probability Item Controversy This Year
Overcoming New Release Slump and Stock Price Decline
Regains No.1 Sales on Google and Apple Markets
Targets Global 'Linjeossi' Audience

Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft

"It contains the sentiment of developing the last Lineage." The new massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) 'Lineage W,' imbued with the solemn determination of Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, has ascended to the throne. NCSoft faced many trials this year. It suffered from controversies over loot box items, a decline in stock prices due to the poor performance of the new title 'Blade & Soul 2,' and more. Kim, who was praised by users as 'Taekjin hyung,' also had to endure criticism and emotional hardship. However, Kim boldly sought to restore his honor with the 'Lineage' intellectual property (IP) that made NCSoft what it is today.

Taekjin hyung Reclaims the Throne

Kim's ambitious work, Lineage W, has held the number one spot on Google Play's revenue chart as of the 10th. It also ranked first in revenue on the Apple App Store. NCSoft reclaimed the top position about four months after yielding it to Kakao Games' 'Odin: Valhalla Rising' in July. As of that day, more than half of the top five Google Play revenue rankings were occupied by NCSoft games, including Lineage W, Lineage M, and Lineage 2M. Lineage W also recorded an all-time high daily revenue. NCSoft revealed that Lineage W's first-day daily revenue exceeded 10.7 billion KRW. Previously, 'Odin,' which had firmly held the top spot, had a first-day daily revenue of about 7 billion KRW. It is a spectacular revival for Lineage.

Once again, it was the Lineage intellectual property (IP) that saved NCSoft. In 1997, when Kim was struggling to find early investors for NCSoft, he even took out a mortgage on his home as a gamble. The Lineage he painstakingly developed became a huge hit and built the NCSoft of today. Kim personally involved himself in the development of the new title Lineage W, putting his life on the line. Among first-generation founders, Kim is almost the only one still active in the field. Participating as Chief Creative Officer (CCO), he poured his passion into developing Lineage W. Kim publicly expressed his affection by stating that it is "the last work of Lineage, compiling everything accumulated over 24 years." Lineage W tells a story set 130 years after the original Lineage. It combines newly created 3D graphics with the original's 'cell and grid-based combat' system.

NCSoft faced turmoil earlier this year due to user backlash against loot box items, and in August, the ambitious Blade & Soul 2 underperformed market expectations, delivering a double blow. Last month, during the National Assembly audit, the company endured the humiliation of being openly criticized and compared unfavorably to overseas games. Even Kim, who had built a friendly image as a CEO affectionately called 'hyung,' faced a crisis. Because of his familiarity to the public, NCSoft's recent slump led to direct criticism aimed at Kim. However, with the early success of the ambitious Lineage W, Kim was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Targeting Global ‘Linjeossi’

Kim, who coined the neologism ‘Linjeossi’ (Lineage + ajeossi, meaning middle-aged man) to describe loyal Lineage users in Korea, is now expanding the stage worldwide. Global success is the most challenging task for Kim. NCSoft has always carried the label of a domestic company, with 80% of its revenue coming from Korea (as of last year). Although it has a North American subsidiary, NCWest, it has yet to achieve significant results. To overcome this, Kim made the new title Lineage W a global target from the start. He personally contributed ideas to the game's name. The 'W' stands for 'Worldwide.' It was simultaneously launched on the 4th in 12 countries including Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, with plans to expand to North America, Europe, and South America next year.

Kim's global strategy centers on 'global combat.' Lineage W features battles where users from all over the world can gather and fight together. Previously, even games with global service were provided on a country-by-country basis. But now, a system is in place where users from different countries can play together on the same server. To ensure convenience despite language differences, 'artificial intelligence (AI) translation technology' has been introduced. Amid recent rumors of NCSoft's crisis, Kim emphasized to employees, "We will promote change and evolve." Attention is focused on whether Kim can capture the hearts of blue-eyed Linjeossi and elevate NCSoft into a global gaming company.