Vortex Gaming

Mobile market research firm Sensor Tower announced on the 6th that Nexon Games' 'Blue Archive' achieved an estimated revenue of $300 million (approximately ₩6,658.5 billion) through events held to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of its service.

According to Sensor Tower, Japan accounted for the largest share of 'Blue Archive's' cumulative sales at 74%. South Korea was the second highest contributing country to sales at 10.9%, showing a large difference from Japan, followed by the United States (6.1%), Taiwan (6.1%), and China iOS (1.3%).

Japan's RPD (Revenue Per Download) was also about 106 dollars, about 2.5 times higher than South Korea's 42 dollars and the United States' 43 dollars, confirming the purchasing power of Japanese players for 'Blue Archive'.

It is evaluated that the Nth anniversary event was the driving force behind the increase in sales in the Japanese market. The highest daily sales in the Japanese market for 'Blue Archive' was about $3.4 million (about ₩4.5 billion), which occurred on January 24, 2023. The 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 10th highest daily sales also occurred in January 2023, all coinciding with the 2nd anniversary event period.

The 2.5th anniversary event, which included the release of popular characters in swimsuit concepts, also caused an increase in sales, and on August 1, 2023, 'Blue Archive' recorded daily sales of about $2.8 million (about ₩3.7 billion). This was the second highest daily sales since its release. 'Blue Archive' achieved annual sales of about $188 million (about ₩250.1 billion) in Japan in 2023. This is a 97.8% increase compared to the previous year.

With the start of the 3rd anniversary event, 'Blue Archive' once again showed a large increase in sales and its ranking soared in both major Japanese markets. On January 24, it rose from 23rd to 8th in the Japanese Android game market, and peaked at 1st on the 27th. In the iOS game market, it rose sharply from 60th on January 20 to 11th on the 21st, and then took 2nd place on the 23rd.

Sensor Tower reported that the most frequently mentioned terms in reviews that gave 'Blue Archive' high ratings in the Japanese market were attractive 'characters' and immersive 'story'. The unique characters struggling to save schools at risk of closing captivated players, and this was analyzed to be linked to high retention.

In addition, in the gender ratio of mobile squad RPGs in the top sales in the Japanese market, 'Blue Archive' has a more balanced gender ratio of 41% female and 59% male than other top games. This shows the game's appeal that can captivate both male and female players.

A Sensor Tower official said, "The 'Blue Archive' IP-based animation series is scheduled to be released in April this year, and it is expected that the scalability based on this IP power will have a positive impact on the game itself again." He evaluated, "'Blue Archive' is becoming a representative game that has successfully formed this virtuous cycle."

웹진 인벤이두현 기자
2024-02-06