In this file photo, Kim Taek-jin, CEO of online game publisher NCSOFT Corp., gives a keynote speech in Seoul on May 15, 2018, on the anniversary of the megahit product Lineage M. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s hottest mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) “Lineage M” marked its third anniversary on Wednesday.
It was developed by the nation’s leading online game developer and publisher NCSOFT Corp.
“Lineage M” was created in June 2017 as a mobile version of the PC game Lineage, which played a key role in the success of NCSOFT after being released in 1998.
“Lineage M” chalked up sales of 834.6 billion won (US$696 million) last year, accounting for about half of NCSOFT’s sales.
Right after being released, “Lineage M” shot up to the No. 1 spot in Google Play Store revenue and kept the position for about two and a half years until it was overtaken by “Lineage 2M” in November last year.
The popularity of “Lineage M” still remains strong, occasionally overtaking its sequel. The number of monthly active users (MAU) is now estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000.
While this figure is not high, the game’s core user base features a high level of average revenue per user (ARPU), thereby ensuring that “Lineage M” continues to serve as a cash cow for NCSOFT.
Despite its popularity, “Lineage M” has not been without criticism. Users have repeatedly complained that the game pressures them to spend too much cash.
Nevertheless, users still play the game.
“Lineage M” is poised for some upgrades on its third anniversary. In particular, NCSOFT is expected to add a new cross-server dungeon that will enable players on different servers to gather for play on a single battlefield.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
