APRIL 11, 2008 • Hellgate: London became the most successful online game launch in South Korea in three years. The title was launched online at PC Bangs on Jan. 15, with retail sales commencing on Feb. 22. The game, released by Korean publisher Hanbitsoft, has already amassed more than 1 million subscribers.

Impact: A big online game in South Korea can be a true cash cow.  The success of StarCraft in Korea is what helped build Blizzard Entertainment’s online game business.  NCsoft launched the online game Lineage in Korea in 1998 and it is still going strong.  In the fourth quarter 2007, Lineage sales were up 37% over the fourth quarter 2006.  For 2007 the original Lineage earned over $100 million in revenue in Korea and its 2003 sequel Lineage II made even more money.  So having a proven success in Korea is big news.