PlayStation and NCSoft Announce “Strategic Partnership” to “Collaborate in Various Business Fields”

 Today Sony Interactive Entertainment and Korean publisher and developer NCSoft announced a “Strategic Partnership.”

According to the press release, the partnership will lead the companies to collaborate “in various global business fields, including mobile.”

This follows a meeting between PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan (who will soon retire from the company) and NCSoft CEO Taekjin Kim, during which the joint partnership deal has been signed.

Guild Wars 2, one of NCSoft’s most visible games.

Specifics of the partnerships have not been announced, but the companies are aiming to create strategic synergy leveraging NCSoft’s technological capabilities and Sony’s leadership in the entertainment field.

The press release included a comment by NCSoft’s CEO Taekjin Kim, who hints that the partnership will extend to different genres and regions.

This partnership with SIE is the beginning of our efforts to build various synergies together, utilizing both companies’ core competencies, technological capabilities, and expertise. We will deliver a new and enjoyable experience to our audience across and beyond genres and regions.

We also hear from Jim Ryan, who interestingly focuses on the strategy to “expand beyond console,” which appears to hint that the partnership won’t focus on simply porting NCSoft’s games to PS5. 

Partnering with NCSOFT advances our strategy to expand beyond console and broaden PlayStation’s reach to a wider audience.

Like SIE, NCSOFT shares a similar vision in creating high-quality, impactful entertainment experiences for players everywhere, and together we’re excited to collaborate to push the boundaries of gaming further.

If you’re unfamiliar with NCSoft, it’s one of Korea’s largest publishers and developers, also active in the West via its NCSoft West arm. Among its games, you may recognize the Guild Wars, Lineage, Blade & Soul, and Aion franchises, among many others. 

The developer has also been teasing new games, including the cinematic title code-named Project M

We’ll keep an eye on this partnership, and we’ll surely let you know as soon as something more specific is announced.