Game industry in South Korea - statistics & facts

Who are the major players in the South Korean game industry?

The South Korean game development market is mostly focused on mobile and online PC games. The largest companies are the so-called 3N: Netmarble, Nexon, and NC Soft. Other promising companies are Krafton and Pearl Abyss, which have become unicorn companies over in recent years, meaning they are start-ups valued at over one trillion South Korean won.

How has the game industry developed in South Korea?

The existing infrastructure in South Korea is more than ideal for gaming; South Korea has one of the best internet connections in the world, for both availability and speed. Additionally, many consumers are already familiar with advanced technologies and open to new developments. A great example for this is the success of 5G in South Korea, which is also opening new possibilities for advancing the gaming market and related technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Additionally, the overwhelming majority of gamers in South Korea play games on mobile phones. In fact, the mobile gaming market in South Korea has become the major market segment over traditional PC gaming.

PC bangs role' as core infrastructure for the South Korean game industry

Another integral part of the South Korean gaming market are PC bangs. PC bangs developed out of internet cafes and became an important hub for professional and casual gamers alike. The facilities provide high-end gaming PCs with a great internet connection. While casual single-player games ranked first as the leading video game type gamers played, gamers often used PC bangs to play multiplayer games, such as the globally popular League of Legends. The sales revenue of PC bangs was recorded to be well in the trillions, and was expected to grow further in the future, recovering from the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic fairly quickly.

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