The theme that penetrates domestic game companies in the first quarter of this year is earning shock. Most of the game companies, except for some game companies, recorded lower operating profits than last year, while major game companies such as Netmarble and Com2us had a deficit, while Wemade, Dev Sisters, and Pearl Abyss fell more than 60%. The specific content varies from game company to game companies, but the foundation on the basis is gathered together. It is a blank from the process of breaking through the limit of mobile games that have been experienced for many years.
Overall, sales increased from the same period last year, but operating profit fell to decline. Although sales increased by 72%, operating profit fell 76%, and Wemade fell 76%, and sales of Neowiz, Netmarble, Wemade Play (SundayToz) and Com2uz were higher than the same period last year, but operating profit fell. In the case of them, they have invested a lot of money by promoting new businesses such as blockchain and methus since last year, and in the first quarter, which is the preparation stage, investment could not be directly connected to sales.
Subsequently, Pearl Abyss, Joy City, Dev Sisters, and Webzen, which have decreased in sales and operating profit, are quite steep. Pearl Abyss and Dev Sisters are preparing new PCs and console, and Joy City is trying to do an indie game and console business that has not been played with blockchain and Webzen. In addition to investing in this, sales fall due to low profitability, which is one of the shortcomings of mobile game, and the company’s earnings seem to have worsened.
Kakao Games and NCsoft, who have worked in the first quarter, are also trying to escape the mobile -centric system. Each game company’s representative work, Odin: Valar Rising and Lineage W are both multi -platform games that are both mobile and PC at the same time. In addition, Kakao Games is also preparing for blockchain and PCs, and NCsoft will actively enter the Western region, which was considered weak, focusing on Lineage W and TL. Craftton is the main source of Battlegrounds that cover PCs and mobile, and will introduce new overseas subsidiaries such as Calisto Protocol.
Most of the domestic game companies, including companies mentioned earlier, are working on small or small or smaller mobile fields. In addition to blockchain, which has emerged as a topic since last year, the company has been struggling with various angles such as multi -platform titles that cover PCs and mobile, and consoles that have not entered. In addition, the market is also expanding beyond China, which is represented by China, to Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. You can’t wait for the Chinese version that hasn’t come out for years.
In the process, it was necessary to secure manpower with excellent development power, to acquire high -quality subsidiaries, to take a breath, and to devise a new business. As a result, in the first quarter, most game companies had gaps that did not make a large new work that could lead sales, which could be interpreted as a deterioration in situations. If so, the key is that the result can lead to actual results. This part is expected to be checked in the second half of this year.