In terms of individual games, 'Stella Blade' saw an 84% increase year-on-year, generating 12.9 billion won, although it was down 24.9% from the previous quarter. 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' reported revenue of 32.7 billion won, marking a 1.2% increase year-on-year but a 24.7% decline from the prior quarter.
Shift Up explained that 'Stella Blade' benefited from ongoing user acquisition through seasonal promotions and discount events, leading to stable long-term sales. 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' also achieved top sales in both the Korean and Japanese markets following its global New Year event and a recent major update for its 3.5th anniversary.
The company is gradually addressing content discrepancies with the global build of 'Goddess of Victory: New Hope' in China, establishing a mid-to-long-term service foundation.
Shift Up expects to continue the upward trend for 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' this year. The company plans to hold seasonal events in the first half of the year and a large-scale event for the fourth anniversary, similar to the recent 3.5th anniversary event, in the second half.
Operating expenses rose by 61.4% year-on-year to 25.8 billion won. Shift Up attributed a 19.5% increase in labor costs to incentive payments, totaling 16.2 billion won compared to the previous quarter. Variable costs decreased by 14.4% to 4.9 billion won due to reduced payment commissions related to 'Stella Blade.' Fixed costs also fell by 39.6% to 4.6 billion won, attributed to decreased outsourcing costs for 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke.'
The company unveiled its strategy to enhance the 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' intellectual property (IP). Shift Up aims to elevate the IP's lifecycle through a two-track strategy focused on strengthening in-game content and expanding IP business.
As 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' enters its third year, the company plans to enhance in-game content. In terms of IP business, it is gradually expanding its merchandise (MD) offerings.
A Shift Up representative stated, "We are expanding the MD product line based on the high recognition and fandom of 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' characters, thereby broadening the IP's offline presence."
Development of the next installment of 'Stella Blade' is also underway. Shift Up plans to transition to a self-publishing model for the upcoming title, starting with the next 'Stella Blade' release. A company representative noted, "We are bringing in global talent with experience in launching and servicing major global titles for new game development."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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