Tue, Feb 05, 2013 | 23:39 GMT

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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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