e-Sports

A screenshot from the upcoming Netmarble game Pirates: Treasure Hunters.
A screenshot from the upcoming Netmarble game Pirates: Treasure Hunters.

 

Korea’s game industry is having a hard time due to government regulations and the increasing popularity of imported games. 

CJ E&M Netmarble is planning to release Pirates in the first half of this year, and launch a professional league for it this year as well. The online game was developed by Virtual Toys, a Spanish game studio. CJ E&M Netmarble purchased the exclusive copyrights from Virtual Toys to launch the game’s first regular service in the world. It is unprecedented that a game company makes an announcement of a pro league for a game that is yet to be released. 

Nexon opened the Nexon Arena, which is the first e-sports stadium in Korea, back in December last year. The opening was very well received by the industry, in that it can expand the base of the domestic e-sports market and provide greater access to local game fans. However, most of the games played in the arena have been those imported and distributed by Nexon, such as FIFA Online 3 and Dota 2, and this has led to much criticism. “With imported games becoming the mainstream, the actual profits are flowing to foreign game companies in spite of Korean gamers’ excellent skills and showmanship,” said e-sports caster Jeon Yong-joon, adding, “What is more important than professional leagues of popular games is an effort for the growth of domestically-developed games.”

The popularity of imported games is rapidly increasing in the Korean e-sports market. The examples include League of Legends, which accounts for over 40% of the market, StarCraft 2, World of Tanks, and World of Warcraft. In contrast, professional leagues for domestically-developed games like Cart Rider, Sudden Attack, and Tales Runner are becoming harder and harder to find. Big businesses such as Hyundai Motor Company, Shinhan Bank, and Fila have withdrawn their official sponsorship from the leagues, too. 

e-Sports is emerging rapidly as a part of the new Korean Wave around the world. SK Telecom’s pro gamer team T1 won the final match in the League of Legends World Championship in LA in October last year. The finals were attended by more than 12,000 people, and over 32 million people watched the game at home across the world. Under the circumstances, the International e-Sports Federation is moving swiftly to have e-sports adopted as a regular sports event.

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