Lineage W Shows Its Potential... Creating 'Linjeossi' in North America Remains a Challenge [Buaeri's Game Dictionary]

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] NCSoft is showcasing its strength in Asia, including South Korea and Taiwan, with its new title 'Lineage W,' drawing attention to whether it will create 'Linjeossi (Lineage + ajeossi)' in North America and Europe next year. Linjeossi is a nickname for loyal Lineage users.

NCSoft's new MMORPG Lineage W has held the top spot in domestic mobile game revenue for over a month. According to Mobile Index on the 18th, Lineage W ranked first in revenue on Google Play starting from the 6th of last month. It also secured the number one position in the integrated monthly revenue rankings for November.

Lineage W is a work that tells the story 130 years after the original Lineage. It combines newly created 3D graphics with the original's 'cell and grid-based combat.'

In particular, NCSoft has ambitions to expand globally with 'Lineage W.' Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, personally contributed ideas to the game's name. The 'W' stands for 'Worldwide.' NCSoft has long struggled to shed the label of a domestic company, as 80% of its revenue came from South Korea (based on last year). Lineage W was simultaneously released last month on the 4th in 12 countries including South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, and is preparing to expand its release regions to North America, Europe, and South America next year.

The early signs are positive. NCSoft opens new worlds weekly, and the formation of 'global battle communities' among users from different countries is active. User metrics since launch are record-breaking. Infrastructure, community, and combat indicators have reached the highest levels among NCSoft's games. The cumulative number of player-versus-player (PVP) battles reached 13,839,604. Executive Director Lee Sung-gu of NCSoft said, "It has become an opportunity to confirm how much synergy can be created within Lineage through battles between countries." Meaningful achievements are also being made in Asia. In Taiwan, it ranks first in Google Play revenue, and it maintains a position within the top 20 in major Asian countries such as Japan and Thailand.

However, the key question is whether it can succeed in targeting Western markets like North America and Europe. The only Korean game that has achieved a blockbuster hit in the North American market is Pearl Abyss's Black Desert. Especially, success cases for MMORPGs are hard to find. Professor Wi Jeong-hyun of Chung-Ang University, president of the Korea Game Society, said, "Western users do not prefer repetitive combat without power struggles or storylines like Lineage."

NCSoft is also contemplating strategies to target Western gamers. It is reported that they are considering customized separate service methods tailored to local users. An NCSoft official said, "We are thinking about and working on various new strategies ahead of the second region release."

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