Korea is one of the leading countries in terms of video game user penetration rate. This should not surprise us, considering the great development of the entertainment industry in the country over the last two decades—from the Kmovie sector to video games.
It's also worth mentioning that Korea is home to many tech brands that have not only a local but also a global impact. Because of this, many experts focused on video games follow the latest trends in this country when they want to predict the next moves on the world stage.
To help you discover what can be expected in this regard, we present this article dedicated to the top 4 video gaming trends in Korea.
Game Streaming Reaches Another Level
Koreans are big fans of streaming their gaming sessions. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of users who practice this activity.
Undoubtedly, this trend will continue in the coming years. Some experts are concerned that one of the most popular game streaming services, Twitch, is no longer available in Korea, but that shouldn't be a problem.
Korean players started streaming their gameplay through other international services like YouTube and local platforms like AfreecaTV.
In addition, streamers try to introduce innovations that enrich the experience of those who follow them. Their main goal is to introduce as much interaction as possible, and they usually do this through exciting surveys, challenges, quizzes, and even interactive mini-games.
Since Twitch is no longer available in Korea, we expect an increase in multi-platform streaming activities. So, until it becomes clear which platform will become the most popular in the country, streamers will use multiple services at once to show their activity to dispersed viewers.
Gaming Startups
Another trend we see in Korea is an increase in the number of gaming startups, which revolutionizes the way we engage with video games online. In fact, this is a global trend that is mirrored in this country as well, spawning as a result of the growth of the gaming industry, necessitating rapid innovations, such as VR, 3D, and AI gaming.
Unlike some other sectors where one platform replaces another, the video gaming sector thrives on all platforms: PC, console, and mobile. In other words, new companies have a tremendous opportunity to try their luck.
Furthermore, the way players play games is changing. Cloud gaming, electronic sports, VR gaming, and similar trends create opportunities for innovative startups to show their fresh ideas and turn them into reality.
Although the market, in general, has experienced stagnation in recent years due to significant adverse global events, investors have maintained interest in gaming startups due to their potential. They invest primarily in the early stages of projects, so they do not in any way reduce the risk of failure.
Overall, gaming startups face some challenges, but they remain one of the video gaming trends in Korea that should be paid attention to.
Crypto in Video Gaming
Owning and trading cryptocurrencies is an entirely legal activity in South Korea. It is an area that is regulated in detail by the authorities. All this gave the idea to those who enable video games in Korea and the players to bring blockchain technology as close as possible to this sector.
One of the ways to do this is by allowing players to become owners of cryptocurrencies or tokens through in-game features. Thus, they can sell their assets on various blockchain markets without much trouble. In addition, they may use Blockchain technology to obtain an additional layer of security for their user accounts related to specific games or video game companies.
Another worth mentioning is the increasing interest in the so-called P2E (play-to-earn) gaming model, where players receive crypto, tokens, or NFTs for time spent playing particular games.
Given that blockchain technology itself is still in development, it can be said that the full potential of its impact on the video gaming industry cannot be limited to what we are witnessing today.
Cross-Platform Connectivity
Modern gamers like to play on consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. Until a few years ago, they did so in separate environments separated from each other. This led to arguments about which option was better than the other.
However, technology has helped overcome these differences. Cross-platform connectivity allowed Korean players to play with each other as a team or against each other regardless of which platform they were using.
This trend has started to develop in several directions lately. For example, more and more popular games in Korea and the world are getting cross-platform functionality, such as Minecraft, Fortnite, and Rocket League. There are announcements of other popular titles joining this group.
This way, the number of players increases, and access to games improves, regardless of the players' budget. We should also mention the social benefits of this trend, which creates a sense of belonging to a massive community.
