Game & Contents / E3 Review Korea's innovative games attract wide attention at the world's premier game show On May 12, 2006, the most well-known game show in the world, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (known as E3)" opened in Los Angeles Convention Center. At this annual show, prominent game companies such as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo etc. vie for the title of world game leader. However, during this year's E3, Korea's online games were a big topic of conversation, following last year's successful showing, with Korea's online game power hitting the headlines in the world media. Besides this, there are also some cases worthy of attention, especially Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates introduced Microsoft's new 'Live Anywhere' initiative that is designed to link user's mobile phone, Xbox 360s and personal computers. "South Korea's online game is very astonishing and creative, therefore it has lots of things we have to learn," Microsoft Game Studios' GM Shane Kim spoke very highly about South Korea's online game. The world game show's visitors were enthusiastic about Korea's newly published pieces of online games, such as 'Tabula rasa' and 'Aion,' so NC soft's booth was filled solidly with many spectators. Particularly, the next generation voluminous game 'Aion' received an enthusiastic response from spectators. A game developer expressed his impressions of this show, saying that at last year, Korea's game companies were placed in some invisible spots, except for NCsoft and Webzen, but this time Korea's game companies have occupied three single booths and a creative 'Korea pavilion' booth exhibited 16 game companies' talented works. The G-STAR organizing committee (Chairman Hong Kiwha), The Korea Trade -Investment Promotion Agency (CEO Hong Ki-wha), Korea Game Development and Promotion Institute (President Woo Jong-sik) and Seoul Business Agency (CEO Kwon Oh-nam) hosted and managed the 'Korea Pavilion' and 'Export Markets'. And South Korea's 27 companies took part in the show as the pavilion's member or single booth's host. At the E3, participating companies attained satisfactory results through 344 export deals with buyers from all around the world, with $120 million profits resulting, and also they have been achieved two export contracts, - the total contact prices are 3.1 million dollars. In particular, a video game peripheral equipment company "IT PIA" concluded their contract, its total sales amount to about 2 million dollars, at the deal with the U.S. company "Pelican" and "Dreamgear." And Yedang Online will service their work, "Audition" to Brazil through game distribution company "Kaizen" for a 2 million dollars contract price. One of the "G-STAR organizing committee" officials said "Compared with last year's show, this time's scale and management are much more improved, and a total amount of the export contract figures far exceed last year's 9.41 million dollars." At the Korean Pavilion booth, a unique performance attracted participants' attention by delivering an electronic music performance of the Korean national anthem, and Korea's folk song 'Arirang', and the fans' anthem of the 2006 World Cup, which was an effective means of boosting Korea's image. Besides this, in several places of the E3 venue, publicity activities were taking place briskly for Korea's annual game festival "G-STAR 2006" which is scheduled to be held in November. Chairman Hong Ki-wha of the "G-STAR organizing committee" said "It is very impressive that Korea's four organizers relevant to the domestic game industry, cooperated so well together to help our country's game companies which can extend their capacity to the export market," adding, "We will dedicate ourselves to development of South Korea's game industries." As many people know, a game is largely meritocratic in its design and attractiveness, so if people like "Kartrider" better than others, that's where they will go. If world game users like South Korea's 'Lineage' better than 'Wii', they vote with their clicks. Clearly, Korea's game industry is no longer small fry, and it has shown that it has a great ability to expand overseas. But still they are destined to face fierce competition from powerful rivals such as MS Corp. and Sony. In terms of the Korean game companies' promotion, the "G-STAR organizing committee" has (to its credit, but also with their intention of GSTAR promotion which will be held in November) left a huge impression and other organizers also showed their pivotal role at the "E3 Show." To positively support Korean game companies and help them outdo their competitors, the government should prepare stronger and more effective policies to support the growth of the domestic game industry, and domestic game companies should continue their endeavors to develop their competitive contents.