Kim Taek-jin and Kwon Hyuk-bin's Surprise Visit to G-Star... The Weight of Their Next Project Has Changed

Kim Taek-jin, NC CEO, Surprise Visit to G-Star
"Came to Meet Users with a New Genre"
Kwon Hyuk-bin, Smilegate CVO
"Most Excited for LoA Mobile"

Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, known as a reclusive executive, and Kwon Hyuk-bin, founder and Chief Vision Officer (CVO) of Smilegate, made a surprise visit to the 'G-Star 2023' event. This highlights the importance of the upcoming titles showcased by NCSoft and Smilegate at this year's G-Star.

Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, visited the G-Star event held at BEXCO in Busan on the morning of the 16th.

NCSoft Takes Initiative for Change... CEO Kim Taek-jin's Surprise Visit

CEO Kim Taek-jin attended G-Star held at BEXCO in Busan on the morning of the 16th. This was Kim’s first visit to G-Star in eight years. Wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the NCSoft logo, Kim said, "Last night, late into the night and early this morning, I came out to make sure nothing was missing and did my best to prepare," adding, "Even now, I am worried if anything is lacking and am preparing to welcome players," sharing his thoughts.

NCSoft has recently embarked on developing new titles not only for console platforms but also in genres beyond their mainstay massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). This reflects their intention to break away from the 'NCSoft = Lineage' framework.

When asked about the vision they plan to show through these new titles, CEO Kim explained, "The gaming field has developed a lot, and we have been trying to find genres where NCSoft can play a role. For example, LLL is an effort to present a different image as a shooting game in the console market. BSS and Battle Crush aim to meet customers in the casual genre," he said.

NCSoft is unveiling the largest number of new games among participants, with seven titles. The new games include ▲shooting game ‘LLL’ ▲brawler action game ‘Battle Crush’ ▲MMORPG ‘Throne and Liberty (TL)’ ▲real-time strategy (RTS) game ‘Project G’ ▲interactive adventure game ‘Project M’ ▲collectible RPG ‘Project BSS’ ▲puzzle game ‘Puzz Up Amitoy’. Each belongs to a different genre, with TL being NCSoft’s first console-based game.

CEO Kim also expressed his intention to expand the core user base of their games from ‘Linjeossi’ (middle-aged men who play Lineage) to a wider range of age groups. He said, "As new generations emerge, the customer base enjoying games also changes with new generations. Genres that were marginalized, such as subculture, are becoming mainstream," he said.

He added, "As trends change, customers change, and game development is striving to adapt well and lead new cultures. G-Star is a place where we can see how well our new titles fit the players," he added.

NCSoft plans to continue developing games across various genres as well as for console platforms. Regarding this, CEO Kim emphasized, "Although we are showcasing two console-based titles this year, I am looking forward to next year and the year after. There are more things we want to show that we are preparing internally," he said.

Kwon Hyuk-bin, the founder of Smilegate, visited the G-Star event held at BEXCO in Busan on the 16th.

Direct Game Demonstration for One Hour... CVO Kwon Hyuk-bin

CVO Kwon Hyuk-bin visited the G-Star venue around 3 p.m. that day. The visit was unannounced. He named the upcoming title ‘Lost Ark Mobile’, showcased by his company, as the game he is most looking forward to.

This was Kwon’s first visit to the G-Star BTC booth in four years since 2019. The year 2019 was also when Smilegate RPG’s PC online game ‘Lost Ark’ won the grand prize at the Korea Game Awards.

When asked why he returned to G-Star after four years, Kwon replied, "I came to show support." Regarding questions about the official release schedule or sales targets for Lost Ark Mobile, he refrained from commenting, saying, "It would be appropriate for Jiwon Gil, CEO of Smilegate RPG, to answer that."

He visited the booths of Wemade, Netmarble, Krafton, and NCSoft in turn, personally demonstrating games for nearly an hour. Kwon is known for being ‘serious about games’, and during the gameplay, he asked various questions about the games to the staff and exchanged opinions.

After touring the booths, Kwon expressed his anticipation for the upcoming titles, saying, "Lost Ark Mobile is the most anticipated."

The significance of CEO Kim’s and CVO Kwon’s visits that day is special. NCSoft is initiating change by unveiling new games for console platforms. NCSoft’s performance in the third quarter of this year declined significantly. Kim’s direct visit to inspect the booth reflects the urgency for the success of the new titles.

Smilegate is at a critical point where a follow-up hit to their flagship title ‘Lost Ark’ is desperately needed. Although ‘Lost Ark’ was a huge success, the absence of a representative follow-up title has been a concern. Additionally, Smilegate RPG’s initial public offering (IPO) is also in consideration, making the success of the follow-up title ‘Lost Ark Mobile’ essential.