Com2uS, Recruiting Successively from 3N Alumni, Bets on Revenue Diversification

Ahead of Genonia Release in First Half of This Year, Recruitment and Organizational Restructuring
Limitations of Single Game Dependence... Diversifying Flagship IPs with Over 100 Billion Won in Sales

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Choi] Com2uS Group has consecutively recruited developers and planners from the 3N (Nexon, NCSoft, Netmarble). Ahead of the release of anticipated titles such as "World of Zenonia" (hereafter Zenonia) this year, the group has strengthened its game business organization. They are driving efforts to overcome past new title slumps and diversify game revenue.

Earlier this month, Com2uS Holdings elevated the Zenonia Business Office under the game business division to a headquarters level and appointed Seohwangrok as the head. Head Seoh previously worked at NCSoft and then at Nexon, where he serviced titles like "Traha" and "V4". He is recognized for his extensive experience in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Zenonia is an MMORPG scheduled for release in the first half of this year.

With Head Seo's joining, the Zenonia Business Headquarters is considered to have completed its lineup. Director Namgunggon, recruited last August, oversees the headquarters overall, supported by Head Seo. Additionally, marketing and business personnel scattered across the game business division have been consolidated into the headquarters to focus capabilities.

Director Namgung is also a seasoned planner in the MMORPG genre. He served as development PD and development director for "Lineage 2" at NCSoft. Later, at the independent developer Pathfinder8, he developed the mobile MMORPG "Kaiser," which was distributed through Nexon. He incorporated this experience into Zenonia, which received praise for its story and quests during in-house testing last month.

Han Ji-hoon, Head of Game Business Division at Com2uS [Photo by Com2uS]

Furthermore, on the 2nd, Com2uS recruited Han Jihoon, former head of Netmarble's business group, as the head of the game business division. Head Han has held positions such as NCSoft business team leader and product manager (PM) in CJ E&M's game business division. At Netmarble, he oversaw various game businesses including "Magumagu," "Seven Knights," "Marvel Future Fight," "Monster Taming," and "Fate/Grand Order." He led global successes such as making Fate/Grand Order a hit and surpassing 150 million cumulative global subscribers with Marvel Future Fight. At Com2uS, he is tasked with strengthening overseas markets.

Com2uS Group has reinforced its game business organization to compete with new titles this year. The goal is to release games across various genres and increase flagship intellectual properties (IPs) generating over 100 billion KRW in revenue.

The anticipated title is Zenonia. Developed by Com2uS and serviced by Com2uS Holdings, it is based on the original game developed by Com2uS Holdings (then Gamevil) in 2008. The series has seven installments and has achieved 63 million cumulative downloads globally. Zenonia 2 was the first Korean game to rank number one in sales on the US Apple App Store. The new title following this is currently undergoing final polishing.

They will also release a new mobile title utilizing The Walking Dead IP. It is a hybrid puzzle role-playing game (RPG) combining The Walking Dead's original story with a 3-match puzzle game format. The genre involves solving puzzles in various ways depending on characters' skills and traits. Beta tests were completed last year in Canada, Thailand, and other countries, and final preparations for release are underway. Additionally, "Summoners War: Chronicle," which began North American service last November, will be launched in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Diversifying revenue has long been a challenge for Com2uS Group due to high dependence on a single game. The revenue from "Summoners War: Sky Arena," released in 2014, accounts for about 70% of total game revenue. Up to the third quarter of last year, cumulative game revenue decreased by 20 billion KRW compared to the same period the previous year, indicating the need for new cash cows. Com2uS Holdings is also running deficits in mobile games due to aging titles like "Gamevil Pro Baseball" and "Be the Star."

A Com2uS official stated, "We plan to expand our portfolio by achieving 100 billion KRW in revenue from core titles such as Chronicle and Zenonia," adding, "We will lead growth in the global market with specialized capabilities and leadership."