'Odin' Continues Success in Taiwan and Hong Kong... Kakao Games Projects 60%+ Revenue Growth This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Kakao Games' massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) 'Odin: Valhalla Rising' has been playing a significant role in driving revenue by maintaining its popularity not only in South Korea but also in Greater China regions such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.

According to financial information provider FnGuide on the 16th, Odin, which was released on both Google and Apple app markets in Taiwan on the 29th of last month, is estimated to have daily sales in the high 1 billion KRW range. This greatly exceeds the market expectations, which initially anticipated daily sales of around 800 million to 1 billion KRW.

In particular, considering that PC payment amounts are not included in Google Play Store sales?unlike competing titles?the actual revenue generated by Odin is expected to be even higher. Consequently, Kakao Games, which joined the '1 trillion KRW club' in sales last year, is projected to achieve sales of 1.686 trillion KRW this year, a 67% increase compared to last year. Operating profit is estimated to grow approximately 350%, reaching 513 billion KRW.

Since its launch, Odin has continuously remained within the top 5 in sales rankings, serving as a reliable revenue source. Odin, released domestically in June last year, ranked first in sales immediately after launch and has consistently maintained a position within the top 4. Thanks to this, Kakao Games entered the '1 trillion KRW club' in sales last year.

It also maintains high rankings in Taiwan and Hong Kong. According to Mobile Index, a mobile big data platform, as of the 13th, Odin ranked 4th in sales on the Taiwan Play Store and has held the number 1 spot on the App Store since its release. In Hong Kong, where it was released on the same day as Taiwan, it ranked 2nd in sales on both the Play Store and App Store.

Meanwhile, in the second half of the year, Kakao Games plans to consecutively release major new titles such as 'Uma Musume Pretty Derby' (hereafter 'Uma Musume') and 'Ares: Rise of Guardians' (hereafter 'Ares'). 'Uma Musume Pretty Derby,' which has been gaining popularity since its official service launch in Japan in February, is Kakao Games' most anticipated title for 2022.

'Uma Musume' ranked 3rd in global mobile game sales in April last year based solely on the Japanese market performance and secured the number 1 spot in both major sales rankings locally in Japan.

Recently, Kakao Games began subway advertisements related to Uma Musume. Since many new mobile games have started pre-registrations following subway advertisements, the gaming industry expects Kakao Games to soon begin pre-registrations for Uma Musume.

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