Latest news with #NCSoft
Korea Herald
30-06-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Stigma threatens Korea's gaming ascent
Seongnam city's AI contest reignites controversy over whether gaming is addictive Korea stands tall as a global gaming powerhouse, fueled by cutting-edge tech, the widespread usage of personal computers and a passionate gaming community. Its thriving industry not only dominates at home but sends Korean games around the world, making the country the fourth-biggest game exporter in the world and driving 70 percent of Korea's total media content exports. Despite the success, the industry still battles a deep-rooted stigma linking games to harmful addiction. The latest controversy was sparked by a recent artificial intelligence contest organized by Seongnam, a city in southern Gyeonggi province and home to Korea's IT and gaming hub, Pangyo Techno Valley. Earlier this month, Seongnam and its addiction support center began accepting submissions of AI-generated short videos and songs about preventing various addictions. The issue arose from the organizers naming four addictions: alcohol, drugs, gambling and 'internet gaming.' The gaming community reacted immediately, with 13 associations representing gamers, the esports and gaming industry, and gaming scholars castigating the labeling of gaming as an addiction. Seongnam city explained that it simply followed the 2025 mental health business guidelines from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which names gaming as an addiction, and removed the word 'gaming' from the phrase 'Internet gaming.' The gaming community followed up by filing a formal inquiry with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to demand answers about the extent of its involvement, if any, in the AI contest and whether it considers gaming an addiction. Strangely, the 2023 mental health business guidelines published by the same Ministry of Health and Welfare just two years ago had zero mentions of gaming in the entire document. The clarification by the city of Seongnam appears to be an attempt to avoid blame as it is home to Pangyo Techno Valley, where a majority of Korea's leading game developers have been headquartered for years -- including NCSoft, Nexon, Kakao Games, Smilegate and Wemade. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which oversees the gaming sector, later sent out an official notice to the Health Ministry and local governments, pointing out that the debate over whether gaming causes addiction is still ongoing among scholars around the world. It noted that there is a lack of scientific evidence, and asked them to refrain from using the word "addiction" to describe gaming or listing gaming among addictive behaviors. 'In the Culture and Arts Promotion Act, which was revised in 2022, gaming was included in the sector of 'culture and arts,' and a 2024 survey by Gallup Korea showed that gaming was the hobby with the greatest appeal to Koreans, so the social perception (of gaming) is changing,' said Lee Cheol-woo, a lawyer who heads the Korean Game User Association. 'Policies that regard gaming as a subject for addiction control run counter to this social change.' President Lee Jae Myung, in his election campaign, vowed to support the gaming industry, signaling positive changes toward the country's gaming sector. If Korea wants to take the next step to lead the gaming world, policymakers must recognize that the enemy is not gaming itself, but ignorance.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Aion 2 Release Date, New Gameplay Trailer, Classic Features and More
Image via: NCSoft Aion 2 finally gets an official announcement from NCSoft after some years of silence and speculation in the rare fabled MMORPG series. Something that lived through much of the Twilight epoch of the original is now no mere nostalgic homage but a true reinvention. Being reborn with fresh technology, global ambitions, and a sprawling universe, the game seems starved of nothing reinvigorated to go along with the powers in the MMO arena. A Global Launch with a Strategic Twist NCSoft said differently from most breaking the mold and bringing the player base itself together, Aion 2 will see a global launch in the second half of 2025. This is a stark departure from the usual staggered releases when the West would have to wait for months after the Korean Premier. From the late part of 2025, in the meantime, before the global launch, a soft launch for just the Korean region shall occur to gather feedback and ensure the stability. Having two faces of a launch means the studio is very confident and wants to have a more refined and community-led entry into the modern monument life landscape. Open betas, live streams, and teaser content will be released to keep the hype going up until the release. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo [아이온2] 게임플레이 트레일러 Reimagining the Legacy: A Complete Vision In NCSoft's words, Aion 2 is the version of the game they never could have built in 2008 as it's been their dream version of the game all along. Now, with more than a decade of technological leaps, they're finally on the verge of bringing that vision to reality. The next chapter takes place in a devastated landscape, with the Tower of Aion already in ruins, with the Daevas that were once unstoppable still not sure how to reclaim their power. Asmodians, who had for years been depicted as the more evil and sinister, now had a more equal scenario, beautiful design to break free from the dated good-vs-evil binary. In a really unexpected twist, every race will actually play on their own servers, with cross-faction battle encouraged through matchmaking and dimensional rift events, leading to exciting, player-created, faction warfare. So, naturally, one of the most exhilarating returns is the refined flying system. No more are the times of crowded or restrictive airspace. Aion 2 features a world 36 times larger than the original, with flight completely unchained in every area on land, sea, and air. Few MMORPGs can match this incredible new freedom to completely transform exploration, combat, and even mobility as you know it. Classes and Classic Features At launch, Aion 2 will launch with eight highly varied classes, including familiar staples like Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, and Cleric. Every class still has access to that classic role, with more defined skills and talents tailored for today's combat mechanics. Skills and gear progression are 100% gameplay-driven. Aion 2 - Release Date, New Gameplay Reveal & ALL Classes Explained - Best New MMORPG Sequel Guide! Character creation has gotten a big overhaul too, with more than 200 customization options. From gritty fighters to cartoonish goofballs, the system delivers both substance and style for gamers who enjoy customizing their personalities. Aion 2 reintroduces many classic PvE features that players loved. Look forward to solo and group dungeons, dynamic world events, and instances beloved by fans such as the Temple of Fire.
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Krafton, Nexon solidify industry-leading standings with upbeat earnings
Struggline NCSoft, Kakao Games pin hope on new titles Krafton and Nexon are solidifying their leadership in the Korean game industry, posting strong earnings in the first quarter to start the year strong on the back of successful new titles and ongoing popularity of the existing intellectual property. Krafton logged record-high first quarter revenue of 874.2 billion won ($625.8 million) and operating profit of 457.3 billion won from the January-to-March period this year, up 31.3 percent and 47.3 percent on year, respectively. Krafton's megahit battle royale shooter PUBG: Battlegrounds continued to attract gamers, with the maximum number of concurrent users reaching 1.4 million in March, according to the company. The game developer's life simulation game inZOI, which became available for early access on global gaming platform Steam in March, sold 1 million copies within a week of its debut to set a new record as the fastest Korean game to reach the milestone. Nexon raked in 1.08 trillion won in revenue and 395.2 billion won in operating profit in the first quarter, up 5 percent and 43 percent respectively from the same period last year. Nexon's two longstanding popular games — Dungeon & Fighter, an online multiplayer side-scrolling action game, and MapleStory, an online side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game, or MMORPG — led the company's robust sales. With the veterans leading the way, The First Berserker: Khazan, a hardcore action RPG based on Dungeon & Fighter, and Mabinogi Mobile, a multi-access MMORPG, gave a boost as they were newly released in March. Netmarble delivered an earnings surprise as it logged 623.9 billion won in revenue and 49.7 billion won in operating profit, up 6.6 percent and 1243.2 percent on year, respectively. The operating profit, which shot way over the market consensus, was achieved thanks to the stable performances from its diverse lineup of games such as action RPG Solo Leveling:ARISE and fighting action games Marvel Contest of Champions. RF Online Next, a space-themed MMORPG released on March 20, accounted for about 3 percent of the company's quarterly game sales despite having only 10 days of impact on the quarterly earnings, raising optimism for the second quarter results. In contrast to the three aforementioned companies, NCSoft and Kakao Games struggled as they did not have any meaningful new titles. NCSoft earned 360.3 billion won in revenue and 5.2 billion won in operating profit to turn black in the first three months of this year. Although the company launched Journey of Monarch, an MMORPG based on NCSoft's flagship IP Lineage, in December last year, the game could not help the firm's ailing figures greatly. NCSoft plans to roll out seven new titles through 2026 including Aion 2 in the second half of this year, vowing to hit 2 trillion won in annual revenue next year. Kakao Games recorded 211.9 billion won in revenue and 12.4 billion in operating loss in the first quarter. Kakao Games will look to the global market this year including the North American and European regions as the company plans to release games with various genres for different platforms, including open-world action MMORPG Chrono Odyssey, online action RPG ArcheAge Chronicles and mobile side-scrolling action PRG Goddess Order.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New MMORPG Aion 2 Coming This Year, Built In Unreal Engine 5
Aion 2 NCSoft originally confirmed Aion 2 was in development nearly seven years ago way back in 2018, but just this week have finally started whispering about some big news to come soon. Later this month on May 29 a big livestream debut is scheduled and in the lead up to that moment we finally have some fresh details. Namely, we should be expecting a global release later this year (reportedly) and we already know it's being built in Unreal Engine 5. By way of a new official teaser website, reporting from Korea IT Times, and a bit of Google Translate work on my part, I think we have some (relatively) concrete details on what to expect from Aion 2 when it launches globally in 2025. I've got the teaser clip which was uploaded to YouTube embedded here: The original Aion from NCSoft first released back in 2008 for Korea and 2009 for the rest of the world and it ascended into the ranks of MMO royalty very quickly. Utilizing a unique (at the time) approach to combining PvP and PvE elements, prominent realm vs. realm factions, and extremely open-ended level design with full-flight functionality, it broke a lot of ground for the MMORPG genre and maintained a sizable audience for many years. From what we've seen and heard, Aion 2 is using Unreal Engine 5 to ensure extremely high-quality visuals and will likely lean on its roots as a hybrid approach of both PvE and PvP content. According to Aion Strategies back in December of last year, it's expected to feature a monetization strategy similar to Throne and Liberty. It's also reportedly shifting away from the relatively traditional tab-targeting method of most of its games such as Lineage, Aion, and Throne and Liberty in favor of something more action-oriented and fast-paced, perhaps similar to games such as Black Desert Online. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder If you've followed the MMO market to any level over the years, NCSoft should be a name you're very familiar with. They've got their hands in a huge chunk of the industry dating back to 1998 with the original Lineage and now spanning the likes of Guild Wars, Blade & Soul, Throne and Liberty, Aion of course, and many other properties, like the deceased City of Heroes. It's worth mentioning that, in the past when Aion 2 was first unveiled, it was labeled as a mobile MMORPG. It's unclear if that's still the plan, or if perhaps it will be cross-platform between PC and mobile such as other recent MMO games like Tarisland.
Korea Herald
12-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
NCSoft in the red for 1st time in 26 years
Korean game developer NCSoft reported its first operating loss last year since 1998, the year after its founding, primarily due to the declining performance of its core game series along with downsizing costs. According to the company's earnings report on Wednesday, its sales revenue dropped 11 percent to 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in 2024 compared to the previous year. It posted an operating loss of 109.2 billion won, a sharp decline from a 137.3 billion won profit in 2023. NCSoft attributed the loss to one-off expenses, including retirement severance -- reportedly over 100 billion won -- incurred during restructuring, as well as increased marketing costs for new game launches and live operations, which deliver new features, updates, promotions and in-game events. 'Early last year, our headquarters (in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province) had nearly 5,000 employees. Since spinning off four studios, this number has been reduced to 3,100, with 1,000 employees moving to subsidiaries and approximately 800 to 900 leaving through voluntary retirement programs,' said NCSoft Co-CEO Park Byung-moo during a conference call. 'We do not plan to undertake restructuring with specific targets. Instead, our focus will be on continuously reshuffling to enhance efficiency.' By region, sales in Korea reached 1 trillion won, accounting for 65.6 percent, followed by 227.5 billion won in Asia and 134.2 billion won in North America and Europe. In response to public criticism of NCSoft's recent game releases, particularly regarding a lack of high-quality features, Park noted that this year's key strategy is to improve the quality and marketing efficiency of each game launch. This includes eliminating technical glitches and assessing games through extensive communication with users. NCSoft also aims to diversify its portfolio by developing new game series and expanding its publishing business by acquiring new game companies. To penetrate global markets, the company will release new games across various genres, such as MMORPGs, shooters, strategy games and subculture-themed titles. 'Last year, we launched 'Throne and Liberty' targeting the North American and European markets and found a significant number of potential MMORPG users overseas, noticing a lack of supply in this genre,' he said. 'With the game surpassing 7 million users globally, it's evident that introducing more MMORPGs could stimulate market growth.' Park highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in achieving cost-efficient game localization overseas and stated that the company will explore new business opportunities with its AI-driven game data analysis tools.
