Google Play Store Sales Rank in Top 20
Weekly User Rank Drops 41 Places
NCSoft's ambitious new release, 'Hoyeon,' has fallen short of expectations from the start. The company introduced the collectible role-playing game (RPG) Hoyeon to expand its intellectual property (IP) portfolio beyond Lineage, but its revenue rankings have been steadily declining.
According to application analytics firm Mobile Index on the 12th, as of the 10th, Hoyeon's Google Play Store revenue ranking was 25th. Its Apple App Store revenue ranking was even lower, at 38th.
Hoyeon's revenue ranking continues to trend downward. On the Play Store, Hoyeon debuted at 30th place on the 1st of this month when rankings began to be tracked, rising to 18th place between the 5th and 6th. However, it then declined, dropping to 22nd on the 7th and remaining within the top 20 range since. Although service began simultaneously in Taiwan and Japan along with South Korea on the 28th of last month, it failed to make a significant impact. In Taiwan, it holds the 38th revenue rank, while in Japan it has fallen outside the top 100.
User rankings have also plummeted. From the 2nd to the 8th of this month, Hoyeon ranked 68th in weekly user numbers, dropping 41 places compared to the previous week.
Hoyeon was highly anticipated from development due to its use of NCSoft's flagship IP, Blade & Soul, alongside Lineage and Aion. Netmarble also developed and released the mobile MMORPG Blade & Soul Revolution using this IP. Furthermore, Hoyeon is the first game utilizing NCSoft's own IP since Blade & Soul 2, which launched in August 2021, marking a gap of over three years.
Amid struggling performance, Hoyeon was also seen as a potential savior to overcome the crisis. NCSoft's first-quarter revenue was 397.9 billion KRW, down 16.9% year-over-year. The trend continued into the second quarter, with revenue falling 16% year-over-year to 368.9 billion KRW. Operating profit during the same period plummeted 75% to 8.8 billion KRW.
The failure to succeed is attributed to the game's complex systems. In particular, there is criticism regarding the in-game monetization model.
If Hoyeon fails to rebound and the slump continues, the impact will be unavoidable. It could reinforce the perception that games outside of the Lineage IP are unlikely to succeed. Attention is already focused on the upcoming fourth-quarter release, 'Journey of Monark,' which also uses the Lineage IP. An industry insider commented, "Trying new approaches beyond the Lineage IP is commendable, but if these challenges do not succeed, people will inevitably say 'it’s ultimately Lineage'."
Regarding Hoyeon's poor revenue performance, NCSoft stated that "the service is designed so that all users can enjoy it regardless of whether they make in-game purchases." A company representative added, "We are executing a two-track strategy to expand our portfolio by leveraging popular IPs and developing new IPs," and "We are focusing on securing future growth engines centered around games."
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