South Korea’s game major NCSoft Corp. on Wednesday unveiled its plan to grow into a global gaming company by enhancing expertise in game development and business operations under dual leadership.

During a press conference on Wednesday, NCSoft Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kim Taek-jin and co-CEO-designate Park Byung-moo said that they will exert their full efforts as a “team” to achieve common goals while maximizing respective expertise.

NCSoft is expected to launch the new dual leadership system later this month.

Under the new leadership, Kim will focus on the company‘s core business of video game development and publishing, seeking new growth drivers following the successful franchise game “Lineage.”

Park, a corporate merger and acquisition (M&A) specialist, will focus on strengthening management fundamentals and securing new revenue streams.

NCSoft has been the subject of market concern due to the continued underperformance of new releases. The company has also faced doubts about its overgrown organizational structure during the pandemic.

However, with a net worth of about 3.3 trillion won ($2.5 billion), NCSoft is looking to secure new post-Lineage intellectual property.

Park noted potential M&As with ”domestic and foreign companies that can expand the game portfolio and contribute to market expansion.“

He, however, stressed that potential M&A candidates would be thoroughly vetted for their financial performance and stability, in addition to their game development capacity, before any move is made.

Kim, in the meantime, will focus on the game business, leveraging the company’s strength in massively multiplayer online games and unveiling plans for new releases this year, including ”Battle Crush“ and ”Project BSS.”

Collaborations with global game companies such as Amazon Games for “Throne and Liberty” and local publishers in China for “Blade & Soul 2” are underway, according to Kim, along with discussions with major tech companies including Sony Group Corp. to promote global business cooperation.

By Ko Min-suh and Chang Iou-chung

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]