The "national games" that ruled the PC bang era are making a flashy return. From "Fortress," which defined the early 2000s, to Nexon's old IP (intellectual property) "The Kingdom of the Winds" and NCSOFT's "Aion," titles are launching or announcing development with the latest trends and are poised to reemerge as a mainstream force in the game market. Still, the industry notes that a complacent retread leaning only on past glory can end in a rout, as in the case of "The War of Genesis."
According to the game industry on the 14th, Nexon, which showcased an "old IP reboot" by winning the Korea Game Awards with "Mabinogi Mobile" recently, is starting in-house development of a sequel to its founding title "The Kingdom of the Winds." It terminated the co-development deal it had pursued with partner Supercat and established 100%-owned subsidiary Dilloquest to change the development lead. The intent is to directly oversee development of "The Kingdom of the Winds 2" to preserve the original's authenticity.
Fortress, the original "national game," also announced a revival. The preregistrations for the new title "Fortress 3 Blue," serviced by Blomix and developed by CCR, topped 1 million on the 11th. It reached that mark 15 days after preregistration began. The company said Fortress 3 Blue preserves the bombardment fun of the original, which boasted 14 million members, while raising accessibility by supporting cross-platform play between PC and mobile. As the PC bang generation of office workers in their 30s and 40s has grown into a core consumer base with purchasing power, the goal is to tap into their nostalgia.
NCSOFT likewise proved the vitality of its IP by reviving the original "Aion," known in 2008 as a "national MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game)," with the sequel "Aion 2." In just 18 days after launch, Aion 2 surpassed 50 billion won in cumulative sales and 500,000 memberships, placing it among the biggest hits since Lineage. Notably, 90% of total payments occurred on PC rather than mobile, showing that people in their 30s and 40s, the PC bang generation, still act as a core consumer group.
This trend aligns with the global momentum. In Japan, the "Dragon Quest" and "Persona" series, counted alongside "Final Fantasy" as part of the "big three RPGs," are leading the remake boom. Square Enix rebirthed the initial Dragon Quest trilogy (I, II, III) using "HD-2D" technology that blends dot-art sensibilities with 3D backdrops, capturing both old fans and new users. Atlus also set the fastest sales pace in series history with "Persona 3 Reload," a full rebuild of the 2006 title. Analysts say it was effective not merely to change the graphics but to significantly improve systems and direction in line with current trends.
But a storied name does not guarantee success. Line Games' "The War of Genesis" series is a prime example. Despite ambitiously releasing new mobile and console titles leveraging the War of Genesis IP—long regarded as the pride of Korean RPGs—user numbers plunged due to optimization failures and complacent operations, and the development team suffered the humiliation of being disbanded.
An industry official said, "Familiar IPs that evoke nostalgia are powerful weapons for early success, but if they fail to satisfy users whose expectations have risen, they face backlash as 'selling memories' and get shunned," adding, "Beyond simple reproduction of the original, it is essential to deliver refined gameplay and operational capabilities suited to the present era."