South Korean game company NCSoft said Monday that it has signed a publishing deal with Taiwanese game company Gamania Digital Entertainment Co. for “Lineage M,” a mobile rendition of NCSoft’s hit online PC game Lineage.

Developed by NCSoft, “Lineage M” is a massive multiplayer online role playing game for mobile devices. It aims to recreate the original PC game’s gameplay and elements in a mobile setting as closely as possible, the company said.

Under the new publishing deal, Gamania will release “Lineage M” in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao within this year. Gamania is also NCSoft’s 17-year publishing partner for the original “Lineage” PC game.

Since its introduction in Taiwan in 2000, the original “Lineage” has accumulated some 9 million local users until now, according to NCSoft.

Meanwhile, NCSoft plans to release “Lineage M” in Korea within the first half of this year, it said.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)