NCSOFT shares are plunging in early trading on the 19th, the day it released the new game "Aion 2."
As of 9:35 a.m. that day, NCSOFT stock was trading on the main board down 16.26% (36,500 won) from the previous session at 188,000 won.
NCSOFT on the day launched the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Aion 2 in Korea and Taiwan. Aion 2 was developed with the goal of being "the complete edition of Aion."
Brokerages see the box-office performance of Aion 2 as likely to have a major impact on NCSOFT's share price. Jung Ho-yoon, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities, said, "One reason NCSOFT's share price had fallen was that users expressed extreme aversion and negative opinions toward NCSOFT's new titles," adding, "If Aion 2 succeeds, it could improve earnings and resolve these negative perceptions."
Kim So-hye, an analyst at Hanwha Investment & Securities, said, "The consensus for next year's results already reflects about 300 billion to 400 billion won in assumed Aion 2 revenue," and explained, "On the first day of Aion 2's release, how many hours it takes to hit No. 1 on the App Store will determine the direction of the share price."