South Korean gamers expand into other creative areas like film making

TV drama “Reborn Rich” [Source : JTBC]

South Korea’s game publishers, such as Com2uS Corp. and Nexon, have expanded their territories into other creative areas with growth potential, such as film production, webtoons and web novels.

Com2uS was a fast-mover, creating tangible results as its subsidiary RaemongRaein.Co.’s TV drama “Reborn Rich,” made a hit with more than 20 percent in viewer ratings, the highest of all drama series aired this year. RaemongRaein produced Reborn Rich based on a webtoon with the same title. WYSIWYG Studios Co., also a subsidiary of Com2uS, was in charge of investment for the drama production.

Nexon acquired a stake worth $500 million in global film producer AGBO in the first half of the year, becoming the largest shareholder. The firm announced last month that AGBO participated in producing “Rebound,” a sports film to be released in early 2023. Netmarble also signed a deal with Studio Dragon Corp., a production firm under CJ ENM, to jointly produce dramas and games.

Game procedures are actively investing in webtoon and web novel services. NCSoft Corp. operates its platform Bufftoon, enhancing its cooperation with content providers. NHN Corp. also operates a webtoon service “Comico” through its Japanese operations. It launched “Pocket Comics” in 2020, targeting North America and Europe. “Domestic game publishers will likely seek new creative items transcending their traditional territories along with overall progress in the content sector,” said Kim Jeong-tae, a professor at Dongyang University.