Point
With MMORPG growth slowing, major Korean game companies are building emotional ties to characters before launch.
Key Issues
• Beyond visual appeal: Attractive characters alone cannot sustain fandom; developers must maintain consistency in each character's personality, dialogue and relationships after launch.
• Gradual lore reveals: NCSOFT is unveiling the lore and character illustrations of 'Astrae Oratio', targeted for early 2027, in stages online. Its X account gained about 12,000 followers during TGS.
• Meeting fans offline: NCSOFT will be the main sponsor of AGF 2026 at KINTEX on December 4–6 with a 150-booth space, demos and merchandise.
Point
Korean developers gather feedback through Steam demos, while a government-backed conference supports console market entry.
Key Issues
• Demos at Steam Next Fest: XLGAMES' 'ArcheAge Chronicles', Smilegate's 'Epic Seven' and LINE GAMES titles offer free demos during Steam Next Fest (October 19–26, PDT), ahead of their respective launches or Steam releases.
• Console game conference: MCST and KOCCA will host the second Console Game Developers Conference on November 9 at Lotte World Tower, where former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shuhei Yoshida will moderate a panel.
• Global speakers: Speakers include CD PROJEKT RED's Paweł Sasko and SHIFT UP's CTO, plus sessions on releasing games on PlayStation and Xbox.
※ For more detailed information, please refer to the attached PDF file.