Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| A screenshot from a YouTube video shows Nexon's upcoming mobile MMORPG "V4." / Courtesy of Nexon |
By Jun Ji-hye
Nexon, NCSOFT and other game companies are increasingly utilizing YouTube as a channel to promote new games and raise market expectations before their launch, company officials said Monday.
Companies upload a variety of high-quality video clips related to the new games such as trailers on YouTube, seeking to gain views and spark attention.
"The image quality has evolved greatly in line with the development of graphic techniques," an official from a Seongnam-based game company said. "As the number of YouTube users has increased sharply, view counts are now regarded as an indicator of the success of new games."
Game companies' efforts to utilize YouTube also come as an increasing number of people are watching games on the popular video streaming site, rather than playing the games themselves.
Nexon unveiled a "one take" video of playing its new mobile massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), "V4" on YouTube, Sept. 3.
The game, which is being developed, is scheduled to be released in November.
The country's leading game company said the video gained 10 million views in six days after being made public, with the number continuing to increase.
"We used the one take technique to show plain images of the game to users," a Nexon official said. "We highlighted images of large-scale combat."
The company plans to invite 70 gamers and 30 influencers as well as journalists to an event this Friday to unveil more details of the new game.
NCSOFT, which plans to roll out its long-awaited "Lineage 2M" in the fourth quarter, has uploaded trailers and other special video clips on YouTube to promote the new game.
The company has also encouraged users to share the videos through social networking services as a way to increase the number of views.
"Lineage 2M" is the mobile version of the firm's online PC game "Lineage 2," which was released in 2003.
Unveiling details of the new game during a media showcase in Seoul, Sept. 5, NCSOFT founder and CEO Kim Taek-jin said the company has applied a variety of cutting-edge technologies to create a game that surpasses the limits of existing mobile products.
The new game has already drawn keen attention after "Lineage M," released in June 2017, has the top sales position on Google Play Store.
Securities analysts expect the game company to see a large growth in sales next year with the launch of "Lineage 2M."
Kakao Games also unveiled a teaser for the upcoming MMORPG "Legendary Moonlight Sculptor" on YouTube, Sept. 19.
