Major Shift in Top Mobile Game Rankings Last Year
Only 7 MMORPGs Remained in the Top 20
Down from 14 Just Three Years Ago, Halved
Preference for Short and Concise Content
Desire for Peaceful and Easy Games
Idle and Luck-Based Games Gain Popularity
'Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)', where players fight competitors for long hours and develop their characters' strength, are losing their appeal on smartphones year by year. Instead, more people are enjoying 'idle games' where characters grow automatically even with brief attention during free time, or games that progress based on luck without boring processes like enhancement or training.
According to the June 14 report titled 'Artificial Intelligence (AI), Investment Strategies in the Dopamine Era' by Mirae Asset Securities, among the top 20 domestic mobile games (by annual revenue), there were 14 MMORPGs in 2021. However, the number dropped to 12 in 2022, 10 in 2023, and further declined to 7 last year. Only NCSoft's Lineage series such as 'Lineage M, 2M, W' and Kakao Games' 'Odin' maintained their top-tier positions. MMORPGs like Netmarble's 'Seven Knights' and 4399 Korea's 'Miracle Sword', which were in the top ranks just three years ago, have vanished without a trace.
During the same period, the revenue generated by MMORPGs in the gaming industry was also halved. In 2021, MMORPGs accounted for 81% of the revenue among the top 20 domestic mobile games. In terms of amount, this meant approximately $2.3 billion (about 3.28 trillion KRW) in sales came from MMORPGs. However, within three years, the revenue share of MMORPGs dropped significantly to 39% (about $900 million, 1.28 trillion KRW).
Industry insiders analyzed that the reason MMORPGs are increasingly neglected in the domestic mobile game market is because consumers have started to prefer short and concise content, and users tired of daily life also want peaceful and easy games. This can be seen from how games like 'Mushroom Keeper' (China's Joy Nice Games), where players watch mushrooms grow by defeating enemies, and 'Seven Knights Keeper' (Netmarble), which raises heroes through automatic battles, have taken the places of MMORPGs that dropped out of the top 20.
An industry official said, "Idle games, where users can enjoy character growth without investing much time and effort, are currently trending," adding, "Characters level up or resources increase automatically without special controls." Users, tired of the 'Lineage-like' MMORPGs that have flooded the market for nearly 20 years, have also sought fresh game genres. 'Unbbaljonmangem' (111 Percent), released last year and maintaining a top position, is a defense-type game where players summon characters to defend against enemy attacks. The fun element lies in obtaining powerful characters based on the user's luck.
Users accustomed to YouTube 'short-form' videos were also cited as a reason for their inability to focus on MMORPGs for long periods. Heeseok Lim, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, said, "Users find it burdensome to connect to MMORPGs requiring vast worlds and complex controls for more than an hour as before," adding, "The MMORPG characteristic of needing to build close relationships with others is also a reason for avoidance."
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