MMORPG, Now Winning Means Capturing the 20s Generation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] In the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) market, which was once dominated by the 30s and 40s age group, people in their 20s are emerging as major spenders. As the expansion of users in their 20s becomes crucial for the long-term growth of games, game companies are busy devising strategies to attract this demographic. Amid this, Kakao Games' "Odin: Valhalla Rising" is expected to enjoy long-term success, recording a balanced user distribution across the 20s to 40s age groups compared to other games in the same genre.

◆ Odin’s 20s User Ratio Twice That of Lineage = According to the average user distribution for the first quarter of this year released by Mobile Index, a big data-based app analysis service, Odin’s daily active user (DAU) ratio for users in their 20s is about 18%. This surpasses the 9% recorded by "Lineage M," which holds the number one spot in Google Play sales during the same period, and the 10% recorded by "Lineage W," which is in second place.

Looking at the 30s and 40s age group, which boasts the greatest spending power, Odin accounts for 69%, while Lineage M accounts for 77%. While Lineage M has leveraged over 20 years of intellectual property (IP) to evoke nostalgia among the 30s and 40s, Odin is praised for capturing the younger generation with its stunning graphics and reasonable pricing.

Odin’s well-balanced age group distribution has translated into steady DAU numbers. Based on Google Play data, Odin recorded an average DAU of around 68,000 in the first quarter of this year, whereas Lineage M recorded about 58,000.

In particular, considering that Lineage W’s average DAU in March dropped to around 35,000 from 75,000 at the end of December last year?a decline of over 50%?while Odin’s DAU decreased by only about 15% during the same period, it can be analyzed that the loyalty of users in their 20s is higher for Odin.

◆ Capturing the 20s = The reason the gaming industry is focusing on users in their 20s is that this demographic is an important indicator for predicting the long-term growth of games. There are many concerns that NCSoft’s concentration of users in their 30s and 40s could become an obstacle to long-term growth. Over time, if the main user base leaves and the Lineage IP ages, a decline in performance is inevitable. Although Odin currently lags behind Lineage in terms of revenue, its high proportion of users in their 20s is also why long-term success is anticipated.

Before its release, Odin adopted strategies to attract users in their 20s by offering top-level graphics for a mobile MMORPG, ▲a convenient yet intuitive GUI (Graphical User Interface), and ▲consistent updates and user-friendly events. Since its launch in June last year, it has conducted weekly regular updates, accumulating about 40 updates, analyzing and meeting the needs of users in their 20s.

Kakao Games plans to continue targeting the younger user base with steady updates and events this year as well. The roadmap unveiled in mid-February focused on the keywords ‘growth’ and ‘competition,’ promising various content that stimulates users’ competitive spirit, including new classes, the addition of Chapter 6, base conquest battles, and a weapon appearance system.

In particular, the introduction of the ‘siege battle’ content, known as the highlight of MMORPG content, is expected to elicit a strong response from the core user base. A Kakao Games representative said, "We will actively introduce Odin’s distinctive features such as ‘rawness,’ ‘mounts,’ and the ‘climbing’ system to present a differentiated siege battle experience from existing MMORPGs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.