Domestic game companies are diversifying their strategies for discovering small games. Approaches range from establishing in-house development teams to specialized publishing organizations and supporting external indie developers in distribution and global expansion.
According to the gaming industry on August 18, Com2uS Holdings has launched a publishing brand called 'Latel' that specializes in discovering indie and small developers' games. Latel is an internal organization consisting of around 10 members, rather than a separate legal entity.
Com2uS Holdings introduced the Latel brand for indie and small games. Currently, titles like 'Paw Pop Match' and 'Color Sweeper' are being released under the Latel brand, along with 'Woongdang Tang Runners' in North America. A representative from Com2uS Holdings stated, "Latel is a brand aimed at fully launching the discovery and publishing of indie and small games, serving as a declaration of our indie game business strategy moving forward."
The trend of discovering small games through internal development teams continues. Mint Rocket is a game development brand launched by Nexon in 2022, focusing on a small elite development team. The initiative aims to present unique games and was spearheaded by Kim Dae-hwon, who was then the Vice President overseeing new game development at Nexon.
Mint Rocket's flagship title, 'Dave the Diver,' has exceeded 8 million units sold since its official release in 2023, achieving success in the global market, particularly on PC and consoles. Following this, Nexon plans to establish Mint Rocket as a separate legal entity in 2024 to enhance its development autonomy.
Some companies are directly supporting external developers. Smilegate continues to discover external games by supporting indie developers in distribution and marketing through its game platform, Stove.
According to Stove Indie, the number of games available on the Stove store has surpassed 1,500, with sales increasing by 304% compared to the previous year. Smilegate has also signed a global publishing contract for 'Alley: Gwiheun,' developed by AIX Lab, continuing its support for external developers' games and their entry into the global market.
The push by game companies to discover small games is influenced by the increasing burden of developing large projects that require long development times and significant manpower, alongside the expanding global distribution environment that offers more opportunities for small games to enter the market.
Market research firm VGI reports that the share of indie games in Steam's sales revenue has grown from 24% in 2018 to 48% in 2024.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.