NCsoft sales up 2%, profits down 6%

NCsoft has reported its fiscal 2010 results, with sales and operating profit both up, but net income down.

Total revenue came in at ₩650 billion ($576 million), up 2 per cent on the previous year, thanks in part to a new sales record for the 12 year-old Lineage game, with its highest ever annual sales of ₩181 billion ($160 million).

Meanwhile operating profit was up 4 per cent at ₩243 billion ($215 million), although net income fell by 6 per cent year-on-year to ₩174 billion ($154 million).

In total the company's lifetime sales for its three biggest titles - Lineage, Lineage 2 and Aion - have now reached ₩3 trillion ($2.7 billion), with the most recent of those three, Aion, now recording consecutive growth for the last three years.

"These results mark another successful year for NCsoft," said MD of EU Publishing, Veronique Lallier. "We've not only maintained steady growth but also broken sales records with our veteran MMO title Lineage, which celebrated its twelfth anniversary last year. We have accomplished this through the strength of our content and the vigour of our community.

"NCsoft, like most MMOs, provide a service, rather than just sell a box. Our success comes from the quality of that service and our ability to communicate with our players on a daily basis. Traditional games publishing models need to adapt and reflect this.

"It's not the end of traditional games publishing models, but we're witnessing a monumental change from those of old," she added.

By region, Korea was unsurprisingly the largest market by revenue, at ₩417 billion ($370 million), followed by Japan on ₩79 billion ($70 million).

North America was next on ₩49 billion ($43.4 million), followed by Europe with ₩34 billion ($30.1 million) and Taiwan on ₩22 billion ($19.5 million).