[Vol. 58] NCsoft Monthly IR Newsletter September 2010 1. NCsoft News 1) PopCap Games Partners With NCsoft To Offer "PopCap World" (9/14) PopCap Games, worldwide leader in casual games, today announced a deal with NCsoft, leading provider of online & MMO games to bring PopCap's first online multiplayer social game service to Korea later this year. The new platform, PopCap World, is the first product to be developed and released by PopCap's Shanghai game studio and marks a major milestone for the company in terms of its global online and social strategies. PopCap World, operated by NCsoft, will launch with 13 of PopCap's award-winning games such as Bejeweled?, Plants vs. Zombies and Zuma? as well as an all-new multiplayer game, Super Zuma, built exclusively for Korean players. All of the games are free to play, with optional, premium paid elements to be added later. James Gwertzman, PopCap's Vice President for Asia/Pacific, said: "When Disneyland first opened, it revolutionized the amusement park industry and ushered in the era of the modern theme park. In the same way, we believe PopCap World has the potential to redefine casual games in Korea and beyond by offering players the most immersive PopCap experience yet. "Our announcement today is just the beginning. We are very excited about our partnership with NCsoft their formidable presence in the online market combined with PopCap's leadership in the casual and social spaces makes for an interesting recipe that we look forward to serving up to players in Korea and beyond." PopCap - and flagship franchise, Bejeweled - is widely regarded as a founding father of the casual games industry. Over the past 10 years, the company has solidified its reputation as a games pioneer by innovating new games genres exemplified in games such as the BAFTA-nominated, Plants vs. Zombies. PopCap is one of the few game developers/publishers that has successfully adapted itself to an everincreasing variety of new gaming platforms and technologies. 1/5
Most recently, the company has gained notoriety for its success in the mobile and social spaces: it's first iphone game, Bejeweled 2, has been in the top 20 apps since it's July 2008 launch; while the company's first social game, Bejeweled Blitz, launched in December 2008, is one of the top games on Facebook with over 4 million daily active users (DAU). As PopCap prepares to launch its second social game, Zuma Blitz, on Facebook later this month, there is palpable excitement surrounding projects on both sides of the world and how these might eventually inform each other. Mr. Whang, NCsoft's Vice President for Web Business Center, said "We are thrilled to be collaborating with PopCap Games on this new project. PopCap is famous not only for the high quality of their games they are a very talented developer but also for appealing to an extremely wide audience. We look forward to a successful launch, and to opening up this new world of fun to both our existing Korean users, as well as a whole new audience for whom this may well be their first online game." PopCap games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by players worldwide; its flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units across all platforms. PopCap World will launch later in 2010 with all games localized in Korean. http://gametab.com/news/3451591/ 엔씨소프트, 美팝캡게임즈의캐주얼게임퍼블리싱 (9/14) 엔씨소프트 ( 대표김택진 ) 가글로벌캐주얼게임개발사팝캡게임즈 (Popcap Games, 대표 David Roberts) 와 ' 팝캡월드 (Popcap World)' 의퍼블리싱계약을체결하고, 팝캡게임즈의대표작을 2/5
온라인화하여게임포털플레이엔씨 (plaync) 에서선보인다. ' 팝캡월드 ' 는팝캡게임즈의대표게임 14종을모아놓은하이브리드캐주얼온라인게임으로 2년의개발기간을거쳐플레이엔씨에서처음공개되는것이다. ' 팝캡월드 ' 는젂세계적으로 5천만카피이상판매된 ' 비쥬얼드 ' 의후속작 비쥬얼드 2(Bejeweled 2) 를비롯해, ' 쥬마 (Zuma)', 플랜츠 vs 좀비 (Plants Vs. Zombies)' 등총 15억카피이상다운로드된인기게임으로구성되어있다. 현재 13개의싱글게임 (standalone game, 1인용게임 ) 과 1개의멀티게임 (multiplay game, 다인용게임 ) 을선보일예정이며친구맺기, 채팅, 게임별랭킹등온라인커뮤니티기능도함께제공한다. 이중멀티게임인 슈퍼쥬마 (Super Zuma) 는최대 4명까지동시에즐길수있는게임으로젂세계적으로플레이엔씨의팝캡월드에서만즐길수있다. 이번계약을통해엔씨소프트는다양한연령층이즐길수있는캐주얼콘텐츠를확보하게되었고, 팝캡게임즈는한국을비롯한아시아시장에자사게임을본격적으로알려나가는발판을마련하게 되었다. 올 11 월오픈예정인 팝캡월드 의모든게임은한글화되어서비스될예정이며, 향후 14 종이외의 다양한게임을추가해나갈계획이다. 엔씨소프트웹비즈니스센터 (WBC) 황순현젂무는 팝캡월드는누구나쉽고편리하게즐길수있으며, 동시에완젂정복하기는꽤나어려운복합적인특징이있다 며 우리나라게임고객들이팝캡월드의 색다른재미를느낄수있도록최선을다할것 이라고말했다. 팝캡게임즈아시아 태평양지사의제임스그워츠먼 (James Gwertzman) 부사장은 아시아시장을겨냥하여개발한팝캡월드의한국롞칭파트너로온라인게임최고의회사인엔씨소프트와제휴를맺게되어매우기쁘다. 특히, 세계에서가장역동적인온라인게임시장인한국에서캐주얼게임서비스방식을재정립할기회를갖게되어매우기쁘다. 팝캡월드는팝캡게임즈가새롭게시도하는온라인게임인만큼한국유저들에게도큰재미를주었으면한다. 고말했다. 엔씨소프트는오는 9 월 14 일플레이엔씨 (www.plaync.co.kr) 에티져사이트를오픈하고, 게임동영상과 함께팝캡월드의주요게임 3 가지를미리체험할수있는플래시버젂의게임을순차적으로업데이트 할계획이다. # # # 3/5
2) NCSoft's Guild Wars Sells 6.5 Million Copies (9/1) South Korean online game publisher NCsoft revealed that Guild Wars has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide since the episodic action MMORPG launched five years ago (when the firm last shared sales figures for the title in April 2009, Guild Wars had sold 6 million units). Around half of those sales took place in Europe, the company told consumer site Joystiq. NCsoft noted that Guild Wars' largest regional audience is in Germany, where it allowed the public to play the PC MMO's upcoming sequel for the first time at last month's Gamescom. Developed by NCsoft subsidiary ArenaNet, the first Guild Wars episode released in April 2005, followed by two episodes, Factions and Nightfall, and the Eye of the North expansion. The company is currently working on Guild Wars 2 and says it intends to release the game "when it's done". While gamers must first buy a Guild Wars episode to play the game, the MMO does not require monthly subscriptions to play (users cannot access some content without buying all of the episodes). Guild Wars 2 will feature a similar subscription-less model. http://gametab.com/news/3440013/ 엔씨소프트길드워누적박스판매량 650 만장돌파 (9/1) 엔씨소프트는 5 년젂런칭한길드워의현재까지누적판매량이 650 만장을넘어섰다고밝혔다. ( 회사측에서 2009 년 4 월발표할당시에는누적판매량 6 백만장이었음 ) 회사는총판매량의젃반정도를유럽이차지한다고밝혔다. 엔씨소프트에따르면길드워의가장큰 시장이독일이며, 독일에서열린게임스컴에서지난달후속작인길드워 2 의체험버젂이공개되기도 4/5
했다. 엔씨소프트의자회사인아레나넷에서개발된길드워는 2005 년 4 월에첫에피소드가공개되었으며, 그 이후 2 번의확장팩 (Factions and Nightfall, and the Eye of the North) 이발표되었다. 최근엔씨소프트는 길드워 2 를개발중이며, 개발이완료되는대로시장에내놓을계획이다. 길드워의경우게임을하기위해서패키지를반드시구매해야하지만, 추가의월정액요금은없다. ( 단, 모든에피소드를구매하지않고서는일부접근할수없는컨텐츠가있음 ) 길드워 2 역시원작과비슷한 월정액이없는과금모델을채택할가능성이높다. For questions or comments, please contact NCsoft IR team; Jay Kim (Jaykim@ncsoft.net) Amy Park( Amypark@ncsoft.net) Bobae Chang (bbchang@ncsoft.net) 5/5