Japanese mobile messaging service Line is rumoured to be preparing to go public in the summer of 2014 with an IPO valued at ¥1 trillion, or around $8 billion.

That's according to Japanese business daily The Nikkei, though the company itself – which has made a move on social mobile gaming in recent months – is yet to confirm it has any such intentions.

Lining up

In a statement to The Next Web, a representative for LINE acknowledged the IPO rumours, adding that there are "many options in terms of company management, but we have not made any concrete decisions at this stage."

With its install base now in the neighborhood of 270 million registered users, including millions in Europe, LINE has expanded at pace since its launch in Japan two and a half years ago.

As stated, LINE's most recent strategy has been to make a move on mobile gaming.

As of August 2013, games make up 53 percent of LINE's $101 million Q2 profits - a percentage that many with eyes on the Asian markets expect to grow in 2014 and beyond.

[source: Serkan Toto]