Introduction to Doing Business in KoreaDENNIS YI

2The Korean Market

$2.8 billion online PC gaming market

$1 billion mobile gaming market

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.com/south-koreas-online-games-market-worth-2-8-billion/

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Top heavy Revenue is concentrated

at the top

If you’re late, you’ve already missed out.

Korea is Trendy

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85% of mobile devices are manufactured in South Korea 6 out of 10 mobile devices are Samsung

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SK Telecom

LG U+

KT

3 carriers dominate South Korea

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145 million users

$203 million in revenue (2013)

400+ games

200+ developers and partners

Kakao

7Do I need a publisher?

Yes Benefit from key learnings,

especially operating games as a service and experience how local partners operate games.

Benefits:

Distribution and retention know-how

Discoverability and monetization

Built-in user base

QA and CS

Expect headaches.

No If there is a global version that

already exists, it may be worth it to simply localize into Korean, get featured on Google Play in Korea, and self-publish.

Benefits:

Lower development costs

Get to market faster

Higher share of revenue

Examples:

Candy Crush

Clash of Clans

There are generally two schools of thought.

8What are publishers looking for?

Servers!

Android focus

Be prepared to develop a separate build for Korea. Straight distribution rarely works.

9Games as a Service

Everything in Korea is online.

An online game doesn’t have a beginning and an end.

Cultivate immersive, virtual experiences.

This is when your ramp UP your team!

10Monetization Pitfalls

Misunderstanding the “highly exploitable” Korean gamer. Korean gamers have different spending patterns because they value

virtual assets and online experiences differently than Western gamers. There is a vibrant and legal trading hub for virtual goods.

Everything is digital, online and multiplayer.

E-sports is a viable career option.

Focusing on monetization instead of gameplay and retention. Free-to-play was introduced to monetize MMOs, not to simply sell a

game for free. Don’t abuse gates and grinds.

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Thank YouDennis Yi

dennis@gamevilusa.com