Netmarble’s online game “Seven Knights,” the Japanese version (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 15 (Korea Bizwire) - Netmarble Games, South Korea’s leading online game developer and publisher, has landed a hit in Japan with its “Seven Knights,” marking a success in its localization strategy, the company said Tuesday.
“Seven Knights,” released in Japan on Feb. 5, ranked No. 7 in sales as of Friday on the App Store. It had risen to No. 10 less than a month after the release. In Thailand, the game reached No. 1 earlier this month on the Google Play Store and the App Store.
Netmarble’s games are commonly popular throughout Asia, with its previous success “Modoo Marble,” released in 2014, recording 200 million downloads for sales of over 500 billion won (US$420 million) so far. This time, the company took “Seven Knights” to Japan on its own, without using a local platform.
“The results have a meaning since they were achieved solely through Netmarble’s intellectual property, development and service,” said Cha Jeong-hyun, head of the company’s business division.
After the game was marketed at home two years ago, the company “redid” it top to bottom for Japanese users, changing the content and design to those more familiar to them and hiring local artists for voice-overs, company officials said. Japan is the third-largest market for online games after North America and China.
The company is expected to release more than 30 new and updated mobile games globally this year.’
(Yonhap)
