Netmarble continued to dominate in the latter half of 2023 with "Seven Knights Idle Adventure," transcending the traditional boundaries of the less popular idle RPG genre.
In a press conference held in June, Netmarble revealed three upcoming titles for the latter half of 2023. At the time, Netmarble CEO Kwon Young-sik introduced these titles, emphasizing that, "Built on gameplay that anyone can easily enjoy, each game showcases strong storytelling, leveraging its respective IP."
Among the trio, "Tower of God: New World," launched in July, stands out due to originating from a webtoon with an impressive 6 billion global views. Although "Tower of God" had a prior game release, Netmarble has transformed it into a collectible anime RPG, matching the popularity of the original.
Within a month of its release, the game achieved a cumulative global revenue of $15 million (approximately KRW 19.8 billion), solidifying its position as the flagship of Netmarble's late-year lineup.
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It was followed in August by "Grandcross: Age of Titans," an original IP by Netmarble that garnered attention in the less popular MMORTS genre. "Grandcross" has expanded into webtoons and web novels, securing its place as a major IP for Netmarble alongside "Seven Knights."
"Grandcross" featured simulation elements in its gameplay that involves managing kingdoms through various resources and buildings, coupled with epic battles featuring the colossal weapon "Titan."
The final entrant, which is based on the global IP "Seven Knights," is "Seven Knights Idle Adventure" that was released in September. It garnered both sales and popularity on Google Play and the App Store, showcasing Netmarble's representative IP strength.
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The popular "Seven Knights Idle Adventure" allows players to create their decks with various heroes, while enjoying PVE and PVP content. Despite being an idle RPG, its addictive nature keeps players engaged for extended periods due to the game’s rich content.
Since its launch, the game has consistently held top positions in popularity and sales on both platforms. According to the Mobile Index, the app debuted at #3 in the monthly revenue rankings for September, including both markets. Subsequently, it ranked #4 in revenue in October and #7 in November - significant achievements in the MMORPG genre's prevailing strength in the first half of the year.
The latter half of the year saw a slowdown in new game releases, with the major game companies focusing on existing favorites. Netmarble, however, successfully rebounded through new releases, with "Tower of God" and "Seven Knights Idle Adventure" driving its sales.
In 2024, Netmarble plans to introduce numerous new titles to strengthen its new growth engines. According to the company’s Q3 conference call, in the first half of 2024, six new games will be released, including "Arthdal Chronicles: Three Factions," "Solo Leveling: Arise," "Raven 2," and "King Arthur: Legends Rise." In China, they will release "Second Country: Cross World."
Not stopping there, three titles unveiled at G-Star 2023 in November, including "Seven Deadly Sins: Origin," "RF Online Next," and "Demis Re:Born," are in development for their launch in the second half of 2024. Expectations are high for Netmarble's 2024 releases, in terms of both quantity and quality.
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김태만 기자 ktman21c@gamevu.co.kr
