<document><![CDATA[NCsoft has quickly evolved from a small start up company in Korea into a leading online game publisher worldwide. Established in March 1997, NCsoft quickly grew after their first product, a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) named Lineage, became a smash hit with gamers throughout Korea. Since then, NCsoft has brought Lineage into several other markets, establishing a presence in Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, and the US. As NCsoft develops new products and expands into additional markets, its goal is to provide gamers with the worldΓÇÖs largest catalog of innovative online entertainment. Currently, the companyΓÇÖs flagship product, Lineage, a major cause of the explosive growth in online games in Asia, is recognized as the worldΓÇÖs largest online game and boasts 3.2 million monthly active users and three hundred thousand concurrent users.
Through acquisitions and joint ventures, the company may publish games on other platforms; however, NCsoftΓÇÖs primary focus is online games. Building on its extensive game operations and service capabilities, NCsoft is now heralded as a world-class online game publisher and a pioneer in online gaming. In 2002, the company launched EverQuest service in Korea through a partnership with Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). The company has also published Shining Lore and plans to publish this title in other Asian markets within this year. Its future plans include publishing and servicing City of Heroes by Cryptic Studios and Exarch by Realm Interactive in North America, among several other games in various markets worldwide.
In order to strengthen the solid development capabilities of the company showcased by Lineage, NCsoft has recruited the best game developers the world has to offer. The companyΓÇÖs North American office includes well-known developers like Richard Garriott and Starr Long, who created Ultima Online. NCsoft has also acquired a studio in Seattle, Washington, called ArenaNet, which includes key former members of the Warcraft and StarCraft development teams.
NCsoft hopes that their diverse line-up of online games, from the fantasy genre (Lineage, Lineage II, Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders) to the comic book genre (City of Heroes) to science fiction and other genres (Exarch and Shining Lore), satisfy the varying needs and tastes of gamers all over the world. NCsoft is committed to spearheading the worldwide online games industry by bringing original game content to life and delivering premium service to its customers.
Established: March 1997
CEO: Tack Jin Kim
Headquarters: Seung Kwang Bldg., 143-8, Samsung-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-090, Korea