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LINE generates $70 million in Q4 games revenue

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LINE generates $70 million in Q4 games revenue

Social messaging service LINE has reported $70 million in Q4 revenue from games hosted on its service.

This shows that Line's games revenue is growing commensurately to its userbase - now 340 million globally - as LINE reported $60 million in Q3 2013 games revenue back in July.

LINE began primarily as a messaging app but now host 51 games on its service.

Stickers - a user-favourite way to spice up messages sent through the service - now account for roughly 20 percent of Line's total revenue while games are responsible for 60 percent.

Platform in disguise?

LINE's continued growth in games revenue adds more speculation to the debate as to whether social and messaging apps like LINE and Kakao are encapsulated "mini" experiences or if they're integrated gaming platforms in their own right.

Speaking on the growth in games revenue, Line's CEO Akira Morikawa placed a firm emphasis on LINE's global ambitions.

"We must strive to understand our users' needs on a global scale, and in addition to releasing new services, developing new features, and furthering localisation in markets around the world, we will work even harder to forge joint marketing relationship with local businesses."

[source: LINE IR]

US Correspondent

Representing the former colonies, Matt keeps the Pocket Gamer news feed updated when sleepy Europeans are sleeping. As a frustrated journalist, diehard gamer and recovering MMO addict, this is pretty much his dream job.