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KOCCA to scout gaming companies to lead Korean game industry
  • May 25, 2021

KOCCA to scout gaming companies
to lead Korean game industry

Updated : 2021-05-25 15:42
 

By Lee Gyu-lee

The state-run Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), which was established to promote Korean cultural products overseas, is holding a contest to scout for outstanding game developers who will "lead the future of the Korean game industry."

The "Game of the Month" contest is the first of two to be held this year and applications will be accepted until May 31.

"As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Game of the Month contest, we hope to use this platform to discover exceptional games and their developers and to actively promote the excellence of local games (to the world)," said Kim Hyuk-soo, head of the agency's game division.

This year's "Game of the Month" contest is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tech giant Naver, local news outlets The Games Daily and The Electronic Times, and is organized by KOCCA.

The contest will select winners in three categories: General Games, Serious Games (games designed for a specific purpose other than pure entertainment) and Indie Games (for games made on a lower budget and by independent game developers or companies).

The applicants will be evaluated by experts in the game industry as well as users in the areas of concept, development, operation, design, uniqueness in the market and playability.

A total of 16 games and developing companies will be awarded this year. Eight awards will be given in the first half and another eight in the second half.

Any local game developer or distributor can apply to enter the contest. For the General Game category, first-time applicants who developed or created their games within 12 months from the start date of the application period are eligible to apply. For the Serious Game and Indie Game categories, there are no requirements to enter.

The winners will receive the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Award and be honored with a nomination in the 2021 Korea Game Awards. The winners will also be offered a chance to promote their games through game-related outlets and with YouTube creators.

The agency will organize an awards ceremony in November and hold seminars and networking sessions for the contestants to communicate with each other.

The "Game of the Month" contest was founded in 1997 to encourage the growth of Korea's gaming industry and scout talented developers who can create innovative and creative games.

Previous winners include Netmarble's role-playing game "A3: STILL ALIVE" and the arcade game, "Gleam of Fire" by independent developer Snow Games.