Korea Creative Content Agency meets game industry groups

The Korea Creative Content Agency said it held an on-site game industry meeting at the Global Game Hub Center(글로벌게임허브센터) on July 9, with President Kim Yoon-ji(김윤지) presiding. According to the agency, the meeting was arranged to strengthen game-industry competitiveness, listen to people in the field and prepare support measures linked to the continued growth of K-content and the spread of K-culture.

The agency said attendees included game-related associations and groups such as the Korea Association of Game Industry(한국게임산업협회), Korea Mobile Game Association(한국모바일게임협회), Korea Game Developers Association(한국게임개발자협회), Korea Artificial Intelligence Game Association(한국인공지능게임협회) and Game Culture Foundation(게임문화재단), along with representatives of key small and midsize game companies. Participants shared policy needs they felt in the field, including production support, overseas expansion, tenant-company support and investment linkage, and discussed ways to strengthen K-game competitiveness, according to the agency.

Bae Su-jeong(배수정), representative of LoadComplete(㈜로드컴플릿), which the agency said had been selected as an exemplary graduate company of the Global Game Hub Center, said, 'The reason we were able to enter Game Venture 4.0 in 2009, grow the company and receive the Fifty Million Dollar Export Tower was thanks to systematic growth-ladder support.' Bae also said support is needed so companies and teams with small staff numbers can develop over short, concentrated periods and try several approaches.

The Korea Creative Content Agency said it plans to improve its support system by reflecting game-industry field opinions in its projects and support direction so companies and the industry can feel changes. The agency said the plan is tied to the continued growth of K-game content and the spread of K-culture.

After the meeting, the agency said Kim visited Global Game Hub Center support facilities, including virtual reality(VR) and mobile test beds, as well as tenant companies. According to the agency, she reviewed programs for investment attraction and strengthening company operations, and checked the development environment and technology-verification system for small and midsize game companies.

The agency said it also heard from tenant-company officials about difficulties and support needs in game distribution, investment attraction and overseas market entry. Kim Young-woong(김영웅), representative of SuperRabbit Games(㈜슈퍼래빗게임즈), a Global Game Hub Center tenant company, said, 'Small and midsize game companies and startups often have technology and content competitiveness but still face difficulties attracting investment or raising funds,' and added that he hoped policy financing support such as investment and loans would be expanded so companies can focus stably on development.

The Korea Creative Content Agency said Kim also visited the Game Institute(게임인재원) and encouraged trainees. According to the agency, participants shared the view that practical training and talent development reflecting industry demand are central to game-industry competitiveness, and the agency has operated the 'game field-type youth internship,' described as a game-company project field education program, from this year.

Kim said, 'Through this on-site meeting, we were able to confirm the need to diversify support methods beyond production support, including marketing and distribution support.' She added that the agency would keep strengthening the growth base of the game industry, communicating with the field and working to create a game ecosystem for the spread of K-culture.