NCSoft done with games? Say it ain't so!

Is NCSoft going to be moving away from the business of MMOs in the near future? Well-known game security blogger PlayNoEvil seems to think so, citing an article in the Korea Times as fuel for his speculation.

Is NCSoft moving out of the gaming industry? Cho Jin-seo of The Korea Times reports that the company is considering moving into conventional Internet services, most notably, a social networking service, Openmaru, which seems to include several "Web 2.0" style services.

NCSoft's stock has been cut in half in the past 2 months. Its revenues are down 16% in the last quarter and the reception of the new game, Tabula Rasa, has been lukewarm.

This is usually a bad sign for a company. First of all, online gaming itself is a thriving business. Usually, a company diversifies when its market is maturing. While online gaming seems to be plateauing in Korea, globally, the industry is growing rapidly. NCSoft really hasn't had a major hit since Lineage II. Its forays into the US market and strategy to build a global gaming company have met with limited success Guild Wars is a solid performer and City of Heroes/Villains has also had reasonable, but not overwhelming success.

For more, head to PlayNoEvil and then share your thoughts at the ongoing discussion.