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NCSoft Q4: Guild Wars 2 accounts for 45% of total sales

NCSoft posted record-breaking revenue and operating profit in the fourth quarter of its financial year, largely thanks to Guild Wars 2 and increasing revenue from the west.

The international publisher noted record revenues in the fourth quarter of ₩283,353 million ($260.7 million). That's a 56% quarterly increase and a 104% increase year-on-year.

NCSoft also achieved greater operating profit than at any time in its history, with ₩113,194 million ($104 million). That's a 208% jump on the third quarter, which was itself a bumper crop, and a 654% year-on-year increase.

NCSoft credited this sudden growth to new launches - Blade & Soul in Korea, and Guild Wars 2 in the west.

While Korea still provides the largest percentage of sales at 43% in Q4, the US accounted for 25% and Europe represented 18%. Again, this continues a trend noted in the last quarter.

On a game-by-game basis, Guild Wars 2 represented a whopping 45% of total sales in the fourth quarter. Lineage 1 followed at 24% with newcomer Blade & Soul managing 10%.

For the year in total, both AION and Lineage 2 showed shrinkage. Lineage 1 was 30% of yearly total sales; Guild Wars 2 was 24%; and the ailing AION came in third with 20%.

By region, Korea provided 56% of yearly sales, a decrease from 2011's 66%, while the US grew from 4% to 15% and Europe from 3% to 10%.

NCSoft also noted limited cost-cutting measures; it recently issued lay-offs at its Seattle office and closed City of Heroes. It also sold off US-based subsidiary NCSoft Interactive.

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Brenna Hillier avatar

Brenna Hillier

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Based in Australia and having come from a lengthy career in the Aussie games media, Brenna worked as VG247's remote Deputy Editor for several years, covering news and events from the other side of the planet to the rest of the team. After leaving VG247, Brenna retired from games media and crossed over to development, working as a writer on several video games.

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