Approximately 390 Billion KRW in Sales Since Launch
Q4 Operating Profit Expected to Increase by 77%
Anticipation for 'Project TL' in the Second Half of the Year
NCSoft's ‘Lineage W’ has driven performance improvement by generating approximately 390 billion KRW in revenue since its launch.
According to the gaming industry on the 20th, Lineage W's average daily revenue is estimated to be 5 billion KRW, with total earnings since launch reaching about 390 billion KRW. Although this is less than half of the initial daily revenue of 12 billion KRW at the game's launch, it remains the highest level compared to competing MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games). According to big data analytics firm Mobile Index, Lineage W has maintained the number one spot in combined revenue rankings on domestic app markets (Google Play and App Store) for 11 consecutive weeks since its release.
Lineage W is a work that tells the story 130 years after the original Lineage. It combines newly created 3D graphics with the original’s ‘cell and grid-based combat’ system. Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, was directly involved in the development of Lineage W, making it a game he was deeply committed to.
The success of Lineage W is expected to significantly improve NCSoft’s fourth-quarter performance compared to the previous quarter. NCSoft’s fourth-quarter revenue is projected to reach 749.8 billion KRW, with an operating profit of 170.4 billion KRW. Although these figures fall short of market expectations due to labor and marketing costs, they represent increases of 50% and 77%, respectively, compared to the previous quarter.
After receiving disappointing results for some time, NCSoft is expected to make a full-scale comeback this year. Last year, NCSoft faced an earnings shock as public sentiment toward Lineage M cooled due to controversies over probability-based items (loot boxes), and its ambitious title ‘Blade & Soul 2’ failed to meet market expectations, causing difficulties. NCSoft is preparing to launch a major PC and console game, ‘Project TL,’ in the second half of this year.
Project TL, an MMORPG, has mobilized NCSoft’s full development capabilities. As a long-term project that NCSoft has been working on for over five years since 2017, user expectations are high. Recently, NCSoft’s roadmap for ‘Play to Earn (P2E),’ which integrates blockchain and non-fungible token (NFT) technology to allow players to earn money while gaming, is expected to become more concrete. An NCSoft representative stated, "This year, we will disclose plans for services incorporating blockchain and NFT technology."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
