Netmarble's online business hinges on two new games

By Yoon Sung-wonT

Netmarble Games said its two new online games will be a last-ditch attempt in the business and the firm will focus on mobile games if the venture fails.

The company, which holds a leading status in the local mobile games industry, said it will roll out two online titles ― action role-playing game “Eloa” and strategy game “Pirates: Treasure Hunters” ― during a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Guro-dong, southwestern Seoul, Tuesday, and hinted that they may be its last PC-based online games.

“We will launch the two titles keeping in mind that they could be the last of our PC online games,” said Netmarble Games CEO Kwon Young-sik. “We believe that we have done everything we can. If the titles fail to achieve results, it shows the local online game market is too rigid.”

Npicsoft’s Eloa and Virtual Toys’ Pirates: Treasure Hunters are scheduled to be published by Netmarble Games in Jan. 20 and then next month, respectively.

The publisher postponed the launch of the two titles from last year to add more playable content and plans to release Eloa in Japan in the third quarter and Pirates in China in the fourth quarter.

The company posted 398.8 billion won in cumulative sales between the first and third quarters last year, with 77 percent of its total revenue generated from its mobile games. Including Seven Knights, Everyone’s Marble and Monster Taming, all of which have recorded more than 10 million downloads, Netmarble Games is providing four titles in the top 10 grossing chart of Google’s Play app market.

Netmarble Games Vice President Paek Young-hoon said, “We plan to launch at least 40 new mobile games in various genres this year,” adding that the company still has room to publishing online games if it can source a well-made title.

Despite its market leadership in the mobile sector, the company has continued to emphasize the importance of the online sector.

A source from Netmarble Games said, “Though the mobile games are rapidly growing to become comparable to the online sector, it is still important to remain competitive in the online game scene considering its symbolism and significance in the global market.”