Korean publisher NCSoft, best known for producing a long line of online multiplayer games, announced it picked up two new studios, respectively in Korea and Poland, according to a new press release.
Its local Korean pickup is Mistil Games, which is currently working on a game called Take Time, per the team (or Time Takers, as the NCSoft page translates it). Unveiled last year, Take Time is described on the trailer page as a “TPS [third-person shooter] Time Survival game that will lead you to a whole new shooting game experience,” with a teaser that mixes science fiction and fantasy.
Out in the west, Netease also picked up Polish studio Virtual Alchemy. It’s working on Band of Crusaders, which they formerly appearingly called “Project Morningstar,” which is a medieval-era RPG with a “dynamic, tactical combat system enhanced by slow-motion mechanics.” There’s no release date for this game nor any early testing stages, though it does have a Steam Page up.
NCSoft has strong flagship titles in Guild Wars 2 and the Lineage series and saw the launch of Throne & Liberty, though it’s certainly been through many others that have come and gone such as Blade & Soul, City of Heroes, and Wildstar. After dips in profits, the company had layoffs this past October; however, the corresponding plans point at letting studios operate more independently to shift back towards a creative approach. These pickups seem to align with that concept.
“Our goal is to enrich our global pipeline with fresh IPs and bring high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” explained co-CEO Byungmoo Park in the press release, which explains that NCSoft hopes to “invest in third-party studios that excel in specialized genres.”
