When considering massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) today, our thoughts frequently turn to the established giants. World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Final Fantasy XIV typically lead the charge. However, Jeonghee Jin, CEO of NC America, is convinced there’s substantial untapped potential for a fresh title to emerge and enthrall a worldwide audience.
Jin elaborated on her optimistic outlook for the future of MMOs, even in an era where the most successful multiplayer offerings often take the form of live-service shooters. “There’s a genuine chance,” she affirmed. “What we’ve observed is a cyclical pattern, and I believe we are currently at the bottom of that cycle… There are periods of growth and periods of challenge, and the recent wave of layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations we’ve witnessed is largely linked to a post-pandemic correction. This was a time of immense investment and extensive experimentation, which often didn’t yield sufficient results. This doesn’t mean the industry is broken; it means the cycle has simply reset.”
She continued, “I am an optimist by nature, and even amidst all the challenging news over the past two years, my intuition always told me that more positive developments were on the horizon… And just look at the data: a vast number of players still dedicate significant time to games that are 10 or 15 years old. This clearly indicates available space. There’s a loyal audience that forms genuine communities and integrates these games into their lives. This is precisely the demographic MMORPGs appeal to. People might say it’s an old, niche genre, designed for an older generation. That may be true. But in any creative industry, trends inevitably come back.”
NCSoft, the parent company of NC America, is actively developing numerous multiplayer experiences, some of which are expansive MMOs. Titles like Cinder City, Time Takers, Aion 2, and Horizon Steel Frontiers all stand to benefit from this potential cycle restoration. The critical question will be whether they can effectively capitalize on a public that genuinely appears to desire something new and fresh. Indeed, Jin’s argument gains considerable weight from examples such as Crimson Desert, which, despite being described as a single-player MMO, has already sold millions of copies, underscoring a strong appetite for engaging new experiences.