📈 Netmarble's Solo Leveling Rises to #1 Downloads and Top 10 Revenue
Netmarble shows what's possible with high game polish and good use of IP as Solo Leveling: Arise rises to the top charts this past week
Welcome, game developers!
Please bear with us as I experiment with new content formats, timing, and the number of emails I send per week.
Today, I’m presenting Marketwire with News, Top Charts, and a Featured Game Highlight.
I’m also considering moving the Philosophy content out of GameMakers and into a new newsletter focusing on philosophical topics that game dev folks may not be as interested in. We may instead focus more on specific game development topics only.
Anyway, you can see a bunch of stuff adjust in real time to create a better and more relevant newsletter for all of you!
This week, we focus on Netmarble’s new game, Solo Leveling: Arise.
The new ARPG is based on the popular digital comic, webtoon, and anime series Solo Leveling.
Over 12M pre-registrations were announced in April ahead of the global launch.
The mobile game launched globally on May 8, 2024, on Android, iOS, and PC.
Current Sensor Tower estimates for cumulative downloads and revenue (May 7 - May 15, 2024):
Downloads: 63.3M
Store Revenue: $27.0M
See below for a more in-depth analysis!
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PlayStation Sales and New Leadership
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Capcom Reports Record Profits
Capcom reported record profits for the seventh consecutive year, with Street Fighter 6 and Dragon's Dogma 2 leading sales. VGC, GI.BIZ
Game Industry Slowdown, Studio Closures, & More Layoffs
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Sonic Rumble Mobile Game
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Top 10 Mobile Charts (Worldwide, US, and China)
Netmarble’s Solo Leveling Arise is kicking things off with a bang, hitting not only #1 Downloads but also top 10 Revenue worldwide! Wow.
Monopoly Go drops below Brawl Stars (as I predicted) and below Roblox. Will the new 2-way race be between Royal Match and Brawlstars moving forward? Congrats again to the Franks on Brawlstars for doing an incredible job driving liveops performance on the game.
Let’s go! Congrats to my former Sega colleagues who have Sonic Mania Plus at #7 Downloads.
While Monopoly Go has dropped in worldwide Revenue charts, it’s still #1 for the US!
There are 2 interesting grudge matches in Top Revenue for the US: 1. Monopoly Go vs. Royal Match and 2. Last War vs. Whiteout Survival.
A reminder that 欢乐钓鱼大师 by Ark Game at #1 Downloads is the sports simulation fishing game: “Happy Fishing Master.”
Snowbreak: Containment Zone at #7 Downloads is a 3D sci-fi RPG cover-based third-person shooter game.
战斗法则 at #9 Downloads (translated to “Battle Law”) is a strategic, real-time tactical battle game involving the deployment of a diverse roster of characters and units with unique abilities and roles.
Top 10 Mobile Publishers
Dang, Solo Leveling drove Netmarble up 7 spots to #3 Top Publisher on mobile!
As goes Monopoly Go, so goes Scopely.
Top 10 Steam Games
Stellaris at #6 Top Revenue is a grand strategy game developed by Paradox Interactive, available on Steam. Released in May 2016, it offers a deep and expansive experience that combines traditional strategy game elements with 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) mechanics set in a science fiction universe. STEAM, PARADOX
Animal Well is a 2D puzzle platformer with Metroidvania elements, developed by Billy Basso and published by Bigmode. It was released on May 9, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. STEAM, ANIMALWELL
🔦 Solo Leveling Rises big time and shows the power of transmedia
Solo Leveling, also translated as Only I Level Up (Korean: 나 혼자만 레벨업), started off as a South Korean web novel written by Chugong. It was published on KakaoPage on July 25, 2016, became a webtoon on March 4, 2018, and became an anime television series in January 2024.
A Korean drama adaptation and spin-off webtoon called “Solo Leveling: Ragnarok” will also premiere sometime this year.
MARKET DATA
The Netmarble mobile game “Solo Leveling: Arise” did exceptionally well during its initial launch week.
Launching on May 8, 2024, according to Sensor Tower, the game has to date accumulated from May 7 - May 15, 2024:
Downloads: 63.3M
Store Revenue: $27.0M
When analyzing the data geographically, note the clear overperformance from a monetization perspective when we look at Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
Solo Leveling: Arise is an action RPG that follows the storyline of the webtoon in which Sung Jinwoo, an E-Rank Hunter, discovers a unique ability to level up infinitely.
Key Features and Mechanics:
Character Progression:
Players control Sung Jinwoo, starting from a weak hunter and progressively growing stronger by leveling up through defeating monsters and completing missions.
The game features a deep skill tree, allowing players to customize and upgrade abilities to suit their play style.
Combat System:
The combat is fast-paced and dynamic, with various skills and combos.
Players can switch between different weapons and summon shadow soldiers, creatures Jinwoo has defeated and can control to aid in battle.
Exploration and Dungeons:
The game includes various dungeons to explore, each filled with unique challenges, powerful bosses, and valuable loot.
Dungeons are procedurally generated, ensuring that each run offers a different experience.
Quests and Story Missions:
The game follows the narrative of the webtoon, with main story quests that reveal the plot and character development.
Side quests and daily missions provide additional content and rewards, keeping players engaged.
Graphics and Visuals:
The game features high-quality 3D graphics that bring the webtoon's characters and world to life.
Detailed environments and fluid animations enhance the overall gaming experience.
Multiplayer and Social Features:
Players can join friends for cooperative dungeon raids and compete in PvP battles.
Guilds and social features allow players to connect, strategize, and compete for rankings and rewards.
GAME SENTIMENT
The game has strengths in storytelling, combat, and character design but faces criticism for its monetization practices and repetitive elements.
Top 5 Positive:
Faithful Adaptation: Fans of the "Solo Leveling" webtoon and anime appreciate how closely the game follows the source material. The game includes many panel-for-panel remakes of scenes from the webtoon, capturing the original's art style and character designs effectively (The Nerd Stash) (Final Weapon).
Engaging Combat System: The combat in "Solo Leveling: Arise" is fast-paced, dynamic, and visually appealing. Players enjoy the variety of skills, combos, and the ability to switch between different weapons and summon shadow soldiers, making the battles exciting and strategic (Final Weapon).
Character Progression and Customization: Players appreciate the deep character progression system, which allows for significant customization and upgrades. The ability to tailor Sung Jinwoo's abilities and build unique combat styles is a highlight for many users (Final Weapon).
Rich Story Content: The game offers a compelling narrative following the "Solo Leveling" storyline. With numerous main story quests, side missions, and additional content focusing on supporting characters, players find the game rich in story content and rewarding to explore (Netmarble Forum).
High-Quality Visuals: Many players praise the game's high-quality character models and animations despite criticisms. The vivid visuals and faithful representation of characters from the webtoon contribute to an immersive experience, particularly in combat scenes and cutscenes (The Nerd Stash) (Final Weapon).
Top 5 Negative:
Monetization and Gacha Mechanics: Many players have expressed frustration with the game's heavy reliance on gacha mechanics and microtransactions. The presence of a premium battle pass and frequent prompts to spend real money for better characters and gear have been cited as intrusive and frustrating (The Nerd Stash) (Final Weapon).
Repetitive Gameplay: Some users have criticized the game for its repetitive nature. The progression system and level design often require grinding through similar-looking dungeons and completing repetitive tasks, which can become monotonous over time (Netmarble Forum).
Graphics and Visual Design: While the character designs are praised, some players have noted that the overall visual design lacks texture and detail. The environments, in particular, lack visual interest and depth, which detracts from the immersive experience (The Nerd Stash).
Technical Issues and Optimization: There have been reports of technical problems, especially on mobile devices. Issues such as crashes, lag, and poor optimization have been mentioned, affecting the overall gameplay experience (Final Weapon).
Lack of Innovation: Some players feel that "Solo Leveling: Arise" does not offer much innovation compared to other games in the genre. The linear level design and reliance on familiar gacha mechanics have led some to view it as just another typical mobile RPG without unique features (The Nerd Stash).
Animal Well benefited from the massive visibility of videogamedunkey, the streaming persona of Billy Basso. If he can get a bunch of others to start streaming it, it could poke through into greater visibility and revenue.