What are South Korean online game giants busy with?

NCsoft, NEXON, NHN, NEOWIZ and CJInternet are the top 5 game companies in South Korea. They achieve one trillion won each year from the game market and occupy a 50% of market share in the online game market in South Korea. But, it is noteworthy that these five companies are tending to develop in different directions.

In the past, NCsoft mainly focused on adult MMORPGs market, NEXON mainly focused on casual games market, and NHN, CJInterent and NEOWIZ took card games as their main business line. However, these 5 companies are changing their main business lines.

In the past two years, NEOWIZ and CJInternet have found their feet in South Koreas online game publishing business through publishing Sudden Attack and Special Force. And recently, the two companies are engaging in game development and importing overseas games to expand their business lines.

NEOWIZ started to engage in game development through acquiring Thing Soft and other game companies. CJInternet has established their own game development studio CJIG and in addition, it has acquired some medium-and small-sized game companies to enhance its game development capability.

Moreover, the two companies are also active in importing overseas games into South Korea. Through cooperating with EA, NEOWIZ, following FIFA Online, will introduce Battlefield Online, NBA Street Online and other titles into South Korea. And CJInternet is planning to introduce Japanese titles YS Online, Dragonball Online, Dynasty Warriors and Chinese game Perfect World into South Korea.

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NCSoft and NEXON are noted for their specialization in adult MMORPGs and casual games respectively. But now, the two companies are turning their eyes to the console game market. North America and Europe, the two biggest game markets in in the world are still growing largely driven by console games. Seeing the potential of console game market in South Korea, NCsoft and NEXON are putting more efforts and resources on console games business line.

NHN is a renowned online card game maker. Different from CJinternet and Neowiz which mainly publish and operate foreign games, it is committed to publishing and operating Korean games. Although it receives certain revenue from MMORPGs and casual games every year, its largest revenue source is still card games, accounting for about 70%. Aware of the unbalance, the company is making efforts to change the situation.