Korean companies prepare to unveil new games at G-STAR – Beragampengetahuan

Seen is the exterior of the BEXCO Convention Center in Busan, in November 2022 during the G-STAR game showcase. This year’s G-STAR, the nation’s largest game showcase, will be held from Thursday to Sunday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

Nation’s top game showcase will be largest ever

By Baek Byung-yeul

NCSOFT, Krafton, Netmarble and other Korean game companies will unveil new titles at the G-STAR game showcase starting Thursday, to present how they are diversifying their portfolios from mobile role-playing games (RPGs) to various genres on diverse platforms, according to the companies, Monday.

The 2023 G-STAR, Korea’s largest gaming event, will take place from Thursday to Sunday at BEXCO Exhibition & Convention Center in Busan. The organizing committee has not yet released the exact number of participating companies, but the total number of promotional booths that participating companies will set up is 3,250, which is more than the previous record-high of 3,208 set in 2019.

At this year’s event, participating companies will showcase a variety of new titles, including mobile games and console games, as they continue to adapt to the trend of diversifying gaming platforms.

One of the most notable companies is NCSOFT, famous for its RPG franchise Lineage, as the company joins the event for the first time in eight years. NCSOFT will be revealing seven new games, the most of any participating company. All seven games are in different genres as NCSOFT, which relies heavily on the Lineage franchise for its revenue, is trying to diversify its content.

The new games are shooting game LLL, action game Battle Crush, RPG Throne and Liberty; real-time strategy game Project G, interactive adventure game Project M, collectible RPG Project BSS and mobile puzzle game PUZZUP AMITOI.

Seen is NCSOFT’s promotional booth at the G-STAR game showcase. NCSOFT, which is diversifying its RPG-focused portfolio known as the Lineage franchise, returns to the event for the first time in eight years and will showcase games from a variety of genres. Courtesy of NCSOFT

“NCSOFT will kick off the 2023 G-STAR stage with an opening speech event on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The opening speech will feature the first public release of our games, as well as introductions to the features and fun elements of each intellectual property,” the company said. “At 3 p.m., developers of Project BSS will meet with showcase attendees to showcase important information about the game.”

Wemade, which has been the main sponsor of G-STAR for two consecutive years, will unveil two new titles, including Legend of Ymir and mobile baseball game Fantastic 4 Baseball. Legend of Ymir is an RPG based on Norse mythology developed by Wemade’s subsidiary WemadeXR. Fantastic4 Baseball will be showcased for the first time at this event.

Netmarble will display three games currently in development. During a preview event held on Nov. 9, the company said it will unveil Demis Re:Born, RF Online Next and The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, expecting these new games will help strengthen the company’s fundamentals.

Krafton, famous for popular multiplayer online battle game PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, will introduce adventure game Dark and Darker Mobile as the centerpiece of its exhibit at the G-STAR. The company is said to be betting big on the mobile adaptation of the popular first-person dungeon escape game. Google Play, which is returning to the event for the first time in four years, will also hold a media showcase on the theme of cross-platform gaming.

The day before the showcase opens, the Korea Game Awards 2023 will be held. The industry view is that it will be a two-horse race between Nexon’s action RPG Dave the Diver and Neowiz’s action game Lies of P, both of which have shown success on platforms other than mobile.

Dave the Diver is available on Nintendo Switch as well as PC and has sold over 2 million copies globally, while Lies of P is available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox and has sold over 1 million copies.

Models cosplaying as game characters promote Netmarble’s games at the G-STAR game showcase held at the BEXCO Convention Center in Busan, Nov. 17, 2022. This year’s game showcase, which will start on Thursday, will feature a subculture game festival as a side event for subculture game fans. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

Subculture games in spotlight

In addition to new games, the 2023 G-STAR will focus on subculture games, the organizer said.

In the game industry, subculture games are games with Japanese anime-style characters that are enjoyed by a specific group of people. These games were once seen as being enjoyed by a small minority, but they are becoming increasingly mainstream, with more and more people enjoying cosplay, in which they dress up as characters from the games for personal pleasure while experiencing a sense of community with likeminded people.

To meet the changing trends of game players, the G-STAR organizing committee plans to hold side events, such as a subculture game festival, to allow visitors a chance to get into cosplay mode.

“In recent years while we have been running G-STAR, we have seen that the proportion of subculture game fans who are actively consuming and participating in activities at the event site is increasing,” Lee Kang-yul, a senior manager of the event’s organizing committee, said at a press conference in Seoul in September.

“We have decided that we cannot ignore the fact that subculture games are becoming mainstream at gaming festivals. We will prepare major programs, such as talks with voice actors, and operate convenience facilities for participants such as changing rooms, photo zones and merchandise sales spaces.”

To ensure safety, all tickets will be sold in advance, and invitations will be available only through advance online registration. This is to improve the response to unexpected outcomes, including terrorist attacks, while also making it easier for visitors to attend, the organizers said.

The number of tickets sold on each day will also not be disclosed in advance to prevent oversubscription on any given day, the organizers added. In addition, security regulations will be tightened to ensure that dangerous items are not brought inside. Cosplayers will also have their costumes and props inspected in advance.