Subculture games are becoming a key genre in the South Korean gaming market. Following the success of subculture games developed by local companies, major firms like NC, Netmarble, and Wemade are now venturing into this genre.
According to the gaming industry on July 12, Shift Up's game 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' generated 166.8 billion won in revenue last year, accounting for more than half of Shift Up's total annual revenue of 294.2 billion won.
Market research firm Sensor Tower reported that Nexon's 'Blue Archive' earned approximately 95 billion won in South Korea over its four years since launch in 2022. These games have established themselves as success stories in the domestic subculture gaming market.
Subculture, which refers to 'minority culture,' has rapidly gained a following in the South Korean gaming market since the 2020s. Subculture games primarily feature art styles inspired by Japanese anime and cute girl aesthetics.
Nexon Games' 'Blue Archive' laid the groundwork for the growth of subculture games after achieving success in the Japanese market before its domestic release. Following this, titles like 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' and 'Brown Dust 2' have also gained traction.
'Brown Dust 2' is an example of a game that shifted to a subculture approach and found success. Originally a traditional turn-based RPG, it raised its age rating from 15 to 18 after one year of release in June 2023.
The growth rate of subculture games is surpassing that of the overall South Korean gaming market. According to the 2024 Korea Game White Paper by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the growth rate of the domestic gaming market fell from 21.3% in 2020 to 3.4% in 2023, while the subculture game market has recorded an average annual growth rate of over 15%.
As a result, more major South Korean gaming companies, including NC, Netmarble, Smilegate, and Wemade, are launching or developing subculture games.
NC is preparing two subculture games, 'Limit Zero Breakers' (developed by Big Game Studio) and 'Astraea Oratio' (developed by Dynamis One). While NC has strengths in MMORPGs like 'Lineage' and 'Aion,' it is also venturing into subculture games to diversify its offerings.
Smilegate is leveraging its experience from the 2018 RPG 'Epic Seven' for its upcoming titles. Following the release of 'Chaos Zero Nightmare' in October last year, it has recently opened pre-registration for its new game 'Mirash: The Invisible Future.'
Netmarble's 'Mon-Gil: Star Dive' reinterprets its intellectual property 'Monster Taming' to align with subculture sensibilities. While inheriting the original world of the 2013 game 'Monster Taming,' it incorporates subculture elements in characters and graphics to attract both existing and new fans. Wemade launched 'Lost Sword' last year and released 'Make Drama: MAD' last month. It is currently developing games based on 'Noah (N.O.A.H)' and 'Hundred Note IP.'
The ease of entering international markets is also cited as a reason for gaming companies to explore subculture games. According to Sensor Tower, about 70% of the approximately $650 million (about 900 billion won) in cumulative revenue generated by 'Blue Archive' over four years came from Japan.
'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' achieved the top revenue spot in both the Korean and Japanese markets following its 3.5-year update in the first half of the year. After an update on July 2, it ranked first in App Store revenue in South Korea, second in Japan, and second in Taiwan, demonstrating success in overseas markets.
Lee Jae-hong, president of the Korea Game Policy Association, stated, “Subculture games are adding originality to a market that has been concentrated on specific genres like Korean-style MMORPGs and 'Lineage-like' games, broadening the choices for gamers. As Korean culture gains popularity in the global market, game companies should diversify their storytelling and business models to achieve success not only domestically but also globally.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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