The newly appointed MCT Minister Kim Myung-Gon made clear on the occasion of E3 opening in Los Angeles that the Ministry considers the game industry's international competitiveness strengthening and sound game culture's promotion as the two keys to becoming one of the three game powers globally by 2010.
As key tasks for this year, Kim notes that MCT will devise the game industry's international exchanges and collaboration as well as export activation, nurturing and supporting special manpower plus forming a creative game content creation environment.
Korea's optimistic game industry
Relating to Korea game industry's special feature and outlook, today Korea game industry's distinguishing mark is that online game is strong, Kim explains. Online game began in Korea for the first time on 1996 in the world and Korea holds the No. 1 position in terms of market share as Korea's game possesses over 25% of world market in the field of online game.
The Minister went on to say: 'Online game has a special feature that it forges a cyber society through several people's connection on cyber and game participants proceed game through mutual action among the cyber society.'
This online game is being watched recently not only as a play culture, but also in terms of educational utilization or its functional game such as silver generation's imbecility prevention as well, he added.
He noted further that e-sports is being briskly unfolded, explaining that e-sports is a new field's culture industry centering around a game match formed on the basis of game industry.
It is taking root as a brain sport that intense concentration power and analytical power are needed. Along with corporate support about esports, it is also taking root as a new marketing strategy.
It is said that Korea's game industry is now entering a growth phase, Minister Kim diagnoses. In particular, he paid attention to the fact that game is a comprehensive entertainment which can develop as industry and culture stand together, adding that in that sense, the field traditional culture and cutting-edge technology can be grafted, is the very game. Considering Korea's dynamism, spirit to challenge and creativity in Korean society, he expressed a sense of confidence that he is optimistic about the outlook of Korea's game industry, adding that the game industry and a sound game culture are likely to blossom.
Significant E3 participation
With regard to the reason and goal the Ministry operates the Korean pavilion at E3, Kim explained that it is to create a foundation for our game industry circles, in particular for smaller business circles to share information and exchange jointly. Through this, he said he expects that domestic game business circles would be able to make the game industry communicate with the world and to exchange with international society.
As the largest game exhibition globally, E3 is an exhibition in which game firms over 400 companies take part and to which 70,000 buyers from around 80 countries pay a visit of inspection. He believes that it is very significant to showcase Korea's game and to publicize in such a global game exhibition, the Minister underscored.
He proudly stated that though game industry's history is not so long in Korea, Korea's game is developing with priority given to online game industry, based on advanced high-speed telecommunication industry globally and IT industry. Kim said he sees that for online game, which heads basically toward globalization, world market will be its stage and it will forge the game culture without boundary.
Accordingly, the Minister stresses it is important to exchange and cooperate with other countries in the world in order for game industry to develop and grow.
He sternly argues that closed game contents will be not accepted not only to our country, but also to other countries, referring to the fact that game is related not only to value as an industry, but also to user's leisure culture and life culture. When comparing E3 participating companies' game with the past, game graphic's level was improved by far and genre's diversity is conspicuous plus a special feature that technical improvement and online casual game's accent are remarkable, Kim noted.
Improved game graphic's level As to Korea game's overseas inroads, the minister (a former movie actor) pointed out that Korea's game firms are making inroads into around 50 countries all over the world, including 20 Asian countries such as China, Japan and Taiwan; and 20 European countries like Britain and France, and 10 countries in the Americas. These Korean game companies are attempting to make inroads into more countries to seek new markets and particularly, takes the leadership of the entire game market in Southeast Asia countries including China, he said.
As of 2005, domestic game's exports are showing a growth rate of over $100 million in comparison with the preceding year, with $480 million (around 500 billion won). Minister Kim said he sees our game industry's growth, which communities with overseas, will be further more accelerated and continued in the coming years.
Keeping an eye on the fact that G-star 2005 held for the first time last year has shown its vision and possibility to be able to leap into a global game exhibition, the Minister commits himself to support for this year's G-star 2006 to be on a par with E3 based on the successful last year's performance. It is said that the G-star Organizing Committee also shows its willingness to host an even upgraded exhibition both quantatively and qualitively compared with last year and its exhibition space too will be increased 60% in comparison with last year.
For the content industry to develop it is necessary to allow the culture industry and pure arts field to develop in a balanced way by means of mutual action, Kim concluded, mentioning that he believes MCT's policy keynote also should go to such a direction.
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