Now, a necessary prerequisite for Korea's game industry is to advance into international markets - not only for corporate growth, but also survival - as the game market enters the age of maturity through nearly a spring, to say nothing of platforms such as online, mobile and so forth.
In particular, as domestic game companies repeat fighting a good fight in world market on the background of 'Hanryu (Korean Wave) wind' and 'Online game suzerain state premium', oversea inroads, namely 'Global management' has emerged as the highest matter of concern and interest of the game business circles this year.
Game business insiders insist that this year's important key point will be more three-dimensional inroads in comparison with the average year in conjunction with overseas advances. It is true that game business circles' overseas inroads have been limited to simply specific game or specified regions except for some major companies.
Yet, global management is likely to be pursued more actively and systematically with packaging such as portal site, inbound and outbound models combining imports and exports, on-thespot corporation establishment and multifaceted approaches by major players.
Naturally, this will help convert domestic game companies' overseas competitiveness. NHN CEO Chae Hwi-young predicts that market competition at home and abroad will escalate fiercely with business circles' competitive globalization strategy this year. CJ Internet also is preparing a full-scale competition foundation with Ncsoft and Nexon etc. by beefing up its collaboration system with diverse overseas game companies.
Casual & Convergence
The 'Casual' gale is forecast to blow stronger this year. Game experts say that game market's casual wind appears to be powerful enough to hold its own ground though this year is forecast to greet an 'Orthodox MMORPG's renaissance age with the launching of Webzen's 'Sun' (Soul Ultimate Nation), Ncsoft's AION, & Hanbit Soft's Granado Espada etc.
These experts agree that numerous casual games will make their first debut this year as up to major game companies which used to concentrate their efforts on hardcore game, redirect their resources to 'casual'. An executive responsible for casual game development at Neowiz explains that easy and popular casual game demand is on the rise, adding that casual's user class is growing to the lower grades of elementary school and female users also are rapidly increasing.
With the appearance of the next-generation game machine 'Xbox360' launched by MS last November as an impetus, another keyword to emerge as a hot issue this year is 'Convergence'. An executive responsible for this nextgeneration game machine 'Xbox360's domestic sales at MS Korea, stresses that next-generation game machine's advent will pave the way for game market's new paradigm by creating new digital entertainment lifestyle.
This means that platform's convergence phenomenon will begin in earnest from this year following genre's convergence which is dominating game market trends at the moment. Convergence between platforms is forecast to bring about not small change to game use environment as well, not to mention game development pattern. This is expected to bring enormous synergy effect by converging other platform's users such as namely console user and online.
'Fine weather'
As this year's E3 shows, Korea's game industry is spreading the wings, starting from online game, which is in its global expansion phase.
Especially, online game industry is forecast to greet the highest sudden change period this year since its fomentation as one example, foreign-made blockbuster games that possess both brand and quality, are forecast to be produced like a flood. Experts predict that the game industry has passed its high growth period, but high growth of 20~30% level in comparison with the preceding year is expected to be achievable since domestic game companies are seeking their certain breakthrough in overseas markets and still their global competitiveness also is high.
If last year was the year of casual, this year will be one year when MMORPG will surge ahead. MMORPG's renaissance era is expected to be certain since super special-grade MMORPG blockbusters will be manufactured in large numbers including Webzen's 'SUN', Hanbit Soft's 'Granado Espada' and Ncsoft's 'AION.' Moreover, fusion-style MMORPG also in which casual element and RPG are connected, is emerging rapidly.
The highest variable of the game industry this year is uncertainty of domestic demand due to market saturation. It is true that a steeply rising curve in the opening part of 2000s has considerably become slow and in addition, game industry will be pressed with ceaseless control policies.
Accordingly, game experts note that eventual alternative is exports. The online game export outlook is fortunately very bright and particularly the United States, Europe, and Japanese markets are promising. Domestic game companies' global marketing will be effective this year to the degree that domestic online game export scale could be increased over two-times in comparison with last year, according to experts.
As abovementioned, the biggest obstacle for the game industry's resurgence is the government's various control policies. Like this, it is true that there are many negative factors such as tough competition from other countries as globally the online game market is enlarged, but thanks to the elements of fund market recovery, new user enlargement and overseas market pioneering etc., Korea game industry's forecast is predicted to be 'fine weather.'
| Opinion |
Korea's Mobile Game Industry Needs Tender Loving Care
 No one can deny that mobile game business circles have been experiencing explosive growth over the past several years, despite numerous difficulties and it is still steadily growing. I believe key to Korea mobile industry's success is dedicated employees who have an aspiration for the industry's growth, even though they might have been suffering from a difficult working environment and hardship.
They have been struggling for mobile game to take root as a leading game industry group following online game within domestic game industry and now thanks to their efforts our industry circles wishes to spread its wings toward world stage.
Nonetheless, despite such efforts and perseverance, it is heartbreakingly true that the mobile game platform industry is in fact lagging behind in several aspects in comparison with established platform market's capability, expertise and scale. Accordingly, the mobile game field is not participating proactively in game exhibitions such as G-STAR and E3 etc. at home and abroad, which are gradually becoming lively compared with other platform business circles and further not utilizing good publicity opportunities effectively.
Such phenomena may be attributed to several factors, but for example, it seems the key reason is that international game fairs spotlight other platform games including online game which is in the period of maturity at the moment too.
It goes without saying, that mobile game industry's proactive efforts are essential. But it is not just the industry's self accusation that our mobile business circles should at least receive an impression that we serve as a best man of another game platform.
In addition, I believe that it is time for related game association and organizers to pay more attention to associated market which can create value-added. Along with complex and multi-functional mobile machinery & tools, the development of the mobile accessory market, which will enables more useful and effective game service will come to play a pivotal role in expanding the mobile game market and spearheading globalization.
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