[THE INVESTOR] Netmarble Games has decided to launch “Lineage II: Revolution” for mobile devices in November without the closed beta phase, scheduled to start on Oct. 13, the company said.

A closed beta refers to a trail process for a restricted group of people before releasing the game. The game attracted a huge reaction from game users with about 2 million signing up for the trial process.

With the large number of trial subscribers, industry watchers predicted it is similar to open beta -- a trial for anyone interested -- putting a burden on the company ahead of its initial public offering on KOSPI, slated for by the end of this year or early next year. 



The firm has decided to release the game without the typical schedule of gaming companies when they come out with a new product.

“We have agreed to optimize the game additionally for some new mobile devices before November 2014,” said Lee Wan-soo, director of the game company.

Categorized as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, the game is a mobile version of the online role-playing game “Lineage II”, manufactured by Netmarble’s rival NCScoft.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)