[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] Amid soaring development costs and a slowing game market, domestic game companies are focusing on releasing “classic” games based on proven intellectual property (IP). Moving beyond the trend of simply leveraging proven IP, classic games that stay as true as possible to the originals are establishing themselves as a new formula for success.

A prime example is NC (NCsoftCorporation(036570))’s “Lineage Classic.” By highlighting content that captures the essence of the original, it has garnered a positive response from users and reaffirmed its popularity among existing MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) fans. Tapping into the nostalgia of existing users, it generated cumulative operating revenue of 1924억 in the first 90 days after launch.

Nexon, which owns long-standing IPs, is also expanding its portfolio of games that faithfully preserve the original’s charm, such as “The Land of Wind Classic.” Recently, the company revealed the official title of “KartRider Classic”—which had previously been shrouded in mystery—as “Crazy Racing KartRider,” the same name as the original. The development team explained that they are developing the game to suit modern environments while preserving the core gameplay of the original as much as possible.

As part of its IP diversification efforts, the company has been actively leveraging proven, successful IPs. This is because game development costs have skyrocketed, making the burden of failure much greater than in the past. “Nurturing” games—which expand into new genres by leveraging proven IPs—have also emerged in this context.

Utilizing proven IPs offers the advantage of securing an initial user base through existing fan communities while reducing the marketing costs required to promote new IPs. Furthermore, recent innovations in game development driven by artificial intelligence (AI) have led to an increase in games released on both mobile and PC platforms, creating an environment where it is increasingly difficult for new IPs to succeed.

A key feature of the recent popularity of “classic” games is that they go beyond simply utilizing existing IPs; they fully revive older games to evoke nostalgia. This trend is largely driven by the expansion of the core gaming demographic from teens and young adults to those in their 30s and 40s who played these games in the past. Analysts suggest that the market potential for nostalgia-driven content has increased.

According to the 2025 Korea Game White Paper published by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the average total amount spent on mobile game usage and purchases by generation was highest among those in their 30s at 143,000 won. Those in their 40s followed with 98,000 won. Those in their 20s spent 93,000 won, while those in their teens spent only 54,000 won.

Not only large game companies developing AAA titles but also small and medium-sized developers are building a track record of success with “classic” games based on existing game IPs. “Fortress 3 Blue,” released by Blomix last May, ranked No. 1 on Google Play’s “Popular Games” list shortly after its launch. Fortress 3 Blue is a modern reinterpretation of “Fortress,” a game once known as the nation’s favorite shooting game.

An industry insider noted, “If you look at the current game popularity rankings, most of the titles were developed 5 to 10 years ago, and it’s hard to find games that were newly developed within the past year.” They added, “While we must develop new IPs as part of an IP diversification strategy, releasing games based on existing IPs is also crucial for generating stable revenue.”