[G-Star 2018] Netmarble Games Targeted Global with Its Masterpiece Lineup
‘G-Star 2018 (The Game Show and Trade, All Round 2018)’, an international game exhibition hosted by Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES) and co-hosted by the G-Star Organizing Committee and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, was held on November 15 at BEXCO located in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Netmarble Games, participated in 'G-Star 2018', set up more than 260 showcases optimized for mobile games in the BTC exhibition hall and introduced 4 mobile games including ‘Blade & Soul Revolution’, ‘Seven Knights 2’, ‘The King of Fighters All Star’, and ‘A3: STILL ALIVE’. 'Blade & Soul Revolution', based on the IP of 'Blade & Soul', is a reinterpretation of the sensibility of original works such as cinematic directing and story, gorgeous graphic, martial arts, and actions reminiscent of a war game. It provides differentiated fun such as large-scale open-field competition and community. In 'G-Star 2018', new contents including character customization, PvP system, power conflicts, and strategic elements of the war were revealed. 'Seven Knights 2', which is a mobile MMORPG based on IP of 'Seven Knights', features gameplay that collects various heroes and performs group battles unlike traditional MMORPGs, which focus on one hero. The demonstration version in 'G-Star 2018' showed the world of ‘Seven Knights 2’, which was born as a mobile MMORPG, and introduced the third story, 'Melissa's whereabouts' at the same time so that visitors could experience 4-player boss raid that attacks a giant boss ‘Giganteus’. ▲ Various events were held at the BTC exhibition hall of Netmarble through large LED screen and open stage. ▲ There was a space for visitors to demonstrate the games. 'The King of Fighters All Star' features all the characters and game elements of the previous series, ranging from 'KOF 94’, the first franchise game to 'KOF XIV', the latest one. Users can experience the combination of character-specific skills and combos through connections among 3 characters in mobile environment. The demo version in 'G-Star 2018' allowed visitors to experience the system and combat style of the game. 'A3: STILL ALIVE' is a battle royal MMORPG based on the IP of 'A3'. Its core contents are ‘Strategic Deathmatch’ that uses the strategy and control and fights to the last man, and ‘Free PK in All Areas’ that can enjoy indiscriminative PK with the whole server users in time. The demo version in ‘G-Star 2018’ showed ‘Dark Appearance’ content that allows free PK in all regions when the dark comes, and mercenary system including tanker, dealer, and healer, which shows the complete summoner of ‘A3: STILL ALIVE’. In addition, with a famous BJ as well as the developer, a survival combat ’30-player Battle Royal’ was held at the stage. As a stage event, 'Virtual Live Talk Show', Netmarble Games' first attempt at G-Star, was held. ‘Virtual Live Character’, which is a technology that allows 3D or 2D characters to look and behave naturally through modeling data, real-time motion capture and facial recognition technology, was used for the live talk show where a heroine ‘Len’ from ‘Seven Knights 2’ appears as a virtual live character to host the show. In addition, 'Len' appeared on the big screen installed at the Netmarble booth, introduced 'Seven Knights 2', and performed simple quizzes and mini games with the audience. What’s more, Netmarble provided a variety of events for the audience and offered a number of activities during 'G-Star 2018', including live broadcasts of the Influencers, ‘King OPPA Show(The King of Fighters Show)’, ‘2vs2 PvP Pro-gamer Invitation Show’, and ‘Large-scale Open Field War’. On top of that, Netmarble Games revealed participants' G-star mode play records and provided the opportunity to participate in the stage event 'Time Attack Competition' to the top 5 ranked players. ▲ Visitors demonstrated 'A3: STILL ALIVE' revealed for the first time in ‘G-Star 2018’. ▲ At the event, the game was relayed in real time. ▲ Character cosplay of 'Seven Knights 2' was held at the venue.
[G-Star 2018] Kakao Games Succeeded in G-Star with ‘Ryan’ and ‘Battlegrounds’
‘G-Star 2018 (The Game Show and Trade, All Round 2018)’, an international game exhibition hosted by Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES) and co-hosted by the G-Star Organizing Committee and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, was held on November 15 at BEXCO located in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Kakao Games participated in G-Star with a large booth including BTC, outside square, and BTB. Kakao Games, which appeared in G-Star with ‘Kakao Battlegrounds’ and ‘Friends Racing’, attracted visitors with its representative character, ‘Ryan’. The booth of ‘Kakao Battlegrounds’ in BTC hall was organized in 100-booth scale with ‘Ryan’ wearing helmet and waiting for visitors. In case of the new casual mobile racing game, ‘Friends Racing’, ‘Ryan’ was waiting for visitors with riding a racing car at BEXCO outside square. As a result, Kakao Games raised visitors’ participation through a variety of events and presented experience commensurate with the biggest game festival in Korea, G-Star. ▲ Kakao Games set up a 100-booth BTC exhibition at ‘G-Star 2018’. ▲ At the ‘Kakao Battlegrounds’ booth, ‘Ryan’ was wearing a helmet and waiting for visitors. 'Kakao Battlegrounds' is a Korean version of 'PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' which was released through Steam in 2017 and has driven the battle royal boom around the world. Especially, it was popular in i-Cafe (gaming internet cafe) because users can easily login with Kakao ID and play the game. So, ‘Kakao Battlegrounds’ collaborated with a popular character ‘Ryan’ of Kakao Friends and released a variety of items. At 'G-Star 2018', the 'Kakao Battlegrounds’ booth was built as an open structure. Also, the main concept of the booth was the runway, in order to deliver the feeling of boarding the plane before being put into the battlefield. Here, the representative character of Kakao Friends, ‘Ryan’, was wearing a helmet symbolizing 'Battlegrounds' and welcomed the visitors. At the main stage of the booth, 80 PCs were placed and operated ‘Battlegrounds’ 40-player match, in which anyone can participate, at all times. The Kakao match was a battle in which 10 players become a team, and the visitors could reserve for the match through a kiosk at the booth. Visitors who had reserved it were informed their order via KakaoTalk and were able to experience the game without waiting. In addition, to all visitors participated in 40-player Kakao match, the presents including a permanent ‘Ryan hoodie skin’, produced through collaboration with Kakao Friends’ representative character, ‘Ryan’. ▲ There was an experience zone where visitors can experience the training field. ▲ Visitors could spend time in the AR photo zone while waiting for the match. ▲ The collaboration products of ‘Battlegrounds x Kakao Friends’ were sold at the MD shop. In addition, there was an experience zone where visitors can experience the training field, an AR photo zone, and the collaboration products of ‘Battlegrounds x Kakao Friends’ were sold at the MD shop. So, a variety of on-site participation events including missions, quizzes, and emotional dances were held with various prizes such as a Battlegrounds Ryan doll, rug, mini-note, hoodie, etc. On the 15th and 16th of November, ‘AfreecaTV BJ Final Round Season 5’, where the famous BJs participated, was held at the main stage of the ‘Kakao Battlegrounds’ booth. On the 17th and 18th, a special match with 8 celebrities, including BJ Blackwalk, BJ Juankorea, BJ Pi, BJ Matjongwook, and Broadcaster Byung-jae Yoo, Myung-hoon Jung, Sang-hoon Moon, Kyu-seon Yu, was held. ▲ ‘AfreecaTV BJ Final Round Season 5’, where the famous BJs participated, was held at the ‘Kakao Battlegrounds’ booth. ▲ On the 15th, BJ DDDD won the match and delivered impressions. Besides, at the 'Kakao Battlegrounds' booth, the video of seven games that Kakao Games services was displayed. At the family zone of the booth, the video of new games such as ‘Lookism’, ‘Princess Connect Re:Dive’, ‘Friends Racing’, and ‘The War of Genesis: Battle of Antaria’, and popular games such as ‘Black Desert’, ‘Friends Gem’, and ‘Friends Marble’, were shown. Kakao Games also opened a booth at BEXCO outside square. With a strategy of attracting visitors using its popular character, ‘Ryan’ riding on the racing car attracted much interest from the audience. ‘Friends Racing’ is a mobile racing game in which eight kinds of Kakao Friends, such as ‘Ryan’ and ‘Apeach’, appear. It offers real-time combat mode with a maximum of 8 players, and the fun of thrilling racing on the cute maps and tracks of full 3D design. In addition, the game features a customizing cart, which can be produced as user wants, and Kakao characters’ voices, which were introduced for the first time of Kakao Friends IP. ▲ Kakao Games opened the 'Friends Racing' booth at BEXCO outdoor square with ‘Ryan’ on the racing car. Meanwhile, Kakao Games also set up a BTB booth to strengthen its business partnership. Through ‘G-Star 2018’, it had expanded its customer service contact points and business areas at the same time. In addition, it focused on expanding partnerships through a number of business meetings. ▲ Kakao Games opened a booth in BTB as well as BTC. ▲ At the BTB booth, it had expanded its customer service contact points and business areas at the same time.
[G-Star 2018] Nexon Introduced 14 New Games Containing Past, Present and Future
‘G-Star 2018 (The Game Show and Trade, All Round 2018)’, an international game exhibition hosted by Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES) and co-hosted by the G-Star Organizing Committee and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, was held on November 15 at BEXCO located in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Nexon, which has been doing with the history of 'G-Star' for 14 years, introduced 14 kinds of new game lineups in 'G-Star 2018' and presented pleasure to the visitors. Selecting 'Through Your Life' as the main slogan this year, Nexon looked back on its history when providing users various pleasures for 22 years with its first online game ‘The Kingdom of the Winds’ and presented new games with the commitment to showcase the games to share the pleasures of past, present and future. ▲ Nexon presented its lineup of 14 new games through its 300 booth-size exhibition. In G-Star 2018, Nexon introduced 14 new games; 11 mobile games and 3 PC online games. Among them, eleven of them are demonstration entries, and three of them are video and event entries. Visitors can play these games at the demonstration zone or participate in various game promotion events and advance reservations in the event zone of 300 booth-sized Nexon exhibition booth. First, the mobile games based on Nexon’s representative IPs, including the first online game ‘NEXUS: The Kingdom of the Winds', were newly introduced. At ‘G-Star’, Nexon first released ‘NEXUS: The Kingdom of the Winds Yeon’. It is the first mobile game of the online game ‘NEXUS: The Kingdom of the Winds', which was released in 1996 and listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest running commercial graphic MMORPG. Besides, 'Crazy Arcade BnB M', a mobile game of an online game 'Crazy Arcade' released in 2001, which made ‘Dao’ and ‘Bazzi’ Nexon's representative characters, was introduced. In addition, ‘Tales Weaver M’, a mobile game of ‘Tales Weaver’ released in 2003, which gave many memories with music, and ‘Mabinogi Mobile’, a mobile game of ‘Mabinogi’, which has been loved for a long time with emotional and original lifestyle contents since its release in 2004, were also introduced. Next, Nexon's creative, self-developed works were shown. The demonstration versions of two games were presented at G-Star 2018; a marine adventure game ‘Dave’, developed by Studio42 under NEOPLE in cooperation with National Geographic, and ‘4 Towers’ that solves the puzzles placed in each tower through cooperation play between the two characters. In addition, the opportunity to play the experience version of a PC online action RPG ‘Dragon Hound’, in which users gallop across the extensive background on a horse and hunt huge dragons, was given, and an MOBA titled ‘Ascendant One’, in which SF elements were added in Greek mythology, was introduced at the event zone. ▲ The mobile games based on Nexon’s representative IPs were newly presented. ▲ The demonstrations of various new games were held. What’s more, the publishing titles that are being prepared in cooperation with Korean developers were revealed. As well as a collection RPG ‘Lyn: The Lightbringer’ that Art director ‘Jung Jun-ho’ participated in, the demonstrations of MMORPG ‘Spirit Wish’, which controls three characters at the same time while enjoying beautiful graphics of pastel tone, were prepared. In addition, anticipated mobile games including a causal action game ‘RunningMan Heores’, which used IP of the popular TV program ‘Animation RunningMan’, and a fantasy 2D character collection game ‘CounterSide’ based on the background of virtual reality, were introduced. The anticipated work for PC online game users was also presented; online traditional MMORPG ‘Astellia’ based on strategic battles using more than 30 types of Astells, raising, and cooperative play. Moreover, a large-scale MMORPG 'Traha' being prepared at Nexon met with the audience for the first time. 'Traha' is a high-end MMORPG based on Unreal Engine 4, featuring realistic natural backgrounds, open fields embodied in colorful architecture, diverse lifestyle contents, and economic activities through transactions. On top of that, through ‘Infinity Class’, in which the class and skill infinitely change depending on the weapon, it is possible to strategically change the weapon during the battle. In addition to introducing new games, Nexon operated 'Nexon Studio', an influencer booth during 'G-Star 2018'. In 'Nexon Studio', influencers revealed realistic broadcast contests such as play and review of the demonstration, interview with developer, etc. Through this, the news of ‘G-Star 2018’ Nexon booth was vividly delivered to the users who could not visit the event site. ▲ Unreal Engine 4–based large-scale MMORPG ‘Traha’ also had first time to meet users. ▲ A variety of gifts were given to the users who experienced Nexon games.
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[G-Star 2018] Soft-World’s Sejin Lee & Wendy Hung, “Advance into Greater China with My Card from A to Z at Once!”
‘G-Star 2018 (The Game Show and Trade, All Round 2018)’, an international game exhibition hosted by Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES) and co-hosted by the G-Star Organizing Committee and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, was held on November 15 at BEXCO located in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Soft-World, participated in 'G-Star 2018', promoted its 'My Card' service through BTB booth and conducted consultation with major game companies in Korea. Accordingly, Acrofan visited Soft-World’s BTB booth and met Sejin Lee, Executive of Global Business, and Wendy Hung, in charge of Korean business of ‘My Card’, to talk about the features of ‘My Card’ and future business development. ▲ Acrofan met Sejin Lee, Executive of Global Business, and Wendy Hung, in charge of Korean business of ‘My Card’, to talk about ‘My Card’ service. "'My Card' that we introduced at 'G-Star 2018' is a payment platform that is served by Soft-World. But rather than simply considering it ‘payment service’, users will be able to experience the essence of Soft-World's business that has been going on for 37 years. According to Sejin Lee, Soft-World has been engaged in various businesses related to game and marketing for 37 years in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. Soft-World headquarters is in the business of payment and marketing, and providing game related businesses including game development, publishing, and cloud services through 17 core subsidiaries. "One of the biggest advantages of 'My Card' is that it supports various payment services around the world. In addition to the existing payment methods such as credit card, telecommunication micropayment, and ATM, more than 30 types including mobile payment like AliPay and online payment represented by PayPal are currently supported. Therefore, users can select and use the payment according to their convenience. Moreover, 'My Card eWallet', an electronic wallet service linked to 'My Card', has exceeded 5 million registered members, and prepaid card payment service is also available." Sejin Lee said that the convenience through integration service support is the biggest advantage of ‘My Card’, and introduced that 'My Card' is not only convenient for users but also provides a variety of convenience solutions to partners who introduce 'My Card', which is why the 'My Card' is a fruit of Soft-World's service know-how that has been going on for 37 years. "Partner companies introducing 'My Card' are generally preparing for the service in Greater China. Of course, they can prepare for the service by themselves, but there will be a few shortcomings compared to the local companies. And, we are supporting them with those shortcomings through our affiliates." Wendy Hung pointed out ‘marketing’ and ‘promotion’ as the most lacking areas for the companies preparing for the Chinese service, and said that Soft-World is providing ‘integrated marketing service’ through cooperation with Soft-Ware’s affiliates and partners to companies that introduces 'My Card'. This 'integrated marketing service' is a way to provide a variety of offline marketing for the companies introducing 'My Card' through banks, credit card companies, mobile network operator, micropayments and offline prepaid card distribution networks. ▲ In addition to the payment service of ‘My Card’, the Greater China region ecosystem centered on ‘My Card’ was introduced. "There are many ways to promote games and services offline, such as magazine shelves, posters and DM, game magazines, game video news, interactive entertainment, electronic stickers, etc. We are also actively working on combination of online and offline marketing such as websites, 'My Card' fan page, press conferences and road shows." In addition to promotion and marketing, Sejin Lee and Wendy Hung also emphasized that it is one of the important services for 'My Card' customers that Soft-World's affiliates provide the necessary skills and resources in preparation for local services in China. "The game service does not go smoothly when you apply billing locally. We need to adapt the service as well as development to suit local needs, and we are helping to smoothly connect the necessary parts of localization service to each department and subsidiary of Soft-World. In other words, a game service ecosystem centering on 'My Card' is formed." Connected as a part of service ecosystem, a number of the services and subsidiaries of Soft-World were introduced; 'My Server', which provides solutions encompassing cloud and IDC, 'Zealot Digital Graphic Design Center' and Kaohsiung Music Production Center, which produce the graphic and sound that suit the game’s features, TOP marketing service ‘My Card Bonus’, ‘Adwitt’, which provides advertisement services and online and SNS marketing like Facebook or Google, and ‘Kochava’, which provides a tracking tool service for mobile advertising. "Thanks to the service that emphasizes convenience, there are a growing number of companies choosing Soft-World for their services in Greater China. In major service areas, Soft-World has earned high level of trust as 80% of companies including Korean game companies are our customers.” Sejin Lee said, “With a successful business development, Soft-World is trying to provide more services in the 'My Card' ecosystem so that companies with Taiwan or Greater China service plans do not worry about localization.” Especially, he introduced about the direction of current development that Soft-World focuses on the distinctive elements of the Chinese market, which foreign companies cannot easily think of, and is improving services in the way of suggesting before the customers' requests. "As mobile games become the central platform of the game market, Soft-World's goal became to provide a service that allows small game companies, which do not have much manpower or funds, to easily enter Greater China. Many companies in Korea are also offering mobile games, and I hope Soft-World's 'My Card' will help them advance into the Greater China." Sejin Lee and Wendy Hung said that they hope Korean games with excellent ideas will be introduced to the Chinese market like the time when Korean game companies dominated the game market all over the world. And they again emphasized that 'My card' will play a role as a helper in Korean game companies' entry into the Greater China. ▲ They emphasized that 'My card' will play a role as a helper in Korean game companies' entry into the Greater China.
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[G-Star 2018] Soft-World Set Itself up as a Helper of Korean Companies for Advancing into Greater China
‘G-Star 2018 (The Game Show and Trade, All Round 2018)’, an international game exhibition hosted by Korea Association of Game Industry (K-GAMES) and co-hosted by the G-Star Organizing Committee and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, was held on November 15 at BEXCO located in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Soft-World, participated in 'G-Star 2018' promoted its 'My Card' service through BTB booth and had consultations with major game companies in Korea. 'MyCard' is an integrated payment solution of ‘Soft-World’, and it is in progress in Greater China including China, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. ▲ Soft-World, participated in 'G-Star 2018' promoted its 'My Card' service. As a service of the oldest game company in Greater China, this solution supports more than 30 online payment services including telecommunication micropayment, credit card, ATM, AliPay, PayPal, UnionPay, CherryCredit, etc. In addition, 'My Card eWallet', an electronic wallet service, has more than 5 million members, and the company is currently providing the payment service in a way of a prepaid card. With the provision of these various payment methods, 'My Card' service became the number one market share in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. Soft-World highlighted that it not only provides more than 30 different payment services, but also supports integrated marketing services through cooperation with related companies and partner companies. The integrated marketing service is currently providing various offline marketing services for the users of 'My Card' through banks, credit card companies, telecommunication companies, micropayments and off-line prepaid card distribution networks. ▲ ‘My Card’ offers more than 30 different payment services. ▲ The service is in progress in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. Soft-World's offline promotional methods include cross-affiliate marketing, magazine shelves, posters and DM, game magazines, game video news, interactive entertainment, electronic stickers, etc. It is also actively using combination of on-line and off-line methods such as websites, ‘My Card’ fan page, press conferences and road shows. What’s more, the fact that the company provides the necessary skills and resources in preparation for local services in Greater China through Soft-World's affiliated companies is also introduced as one of the important services for 'My Card' customers. Major support services include 'Zealot Digital Graphic Design Center', 'Kaohsiung Music Production Center', which provides professional graphic and sound resources that suit the game’s features, a TOP Marketing Service ‘My Card Bonus’, ‘Adwitt’, which provides online and SNS marketing and advertising services such as Facebook and Google, ‘Kochava’, which provides a tracking tool service for mobile advertisements, and 'My Server,' which provides a solution that encompasses the cloud and IDC. Through such integrated payment solutions and marketing support plans, Soft-World showed a strong will to support Korean companies' entry into Greater China, saying that they will fully support the local service of Korean game companies in Greater China. ▲ Soft-World provides various support services for services in Greater China. ▲ Through the supporting services, companies can develop localization and marketing more conveniently. ▲ One of Soft-World’s services, ‘My Server’, provides a solution that encompasses the cloud and IDC.
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[OSS 2018 Berlin] OpenStack Summit 2018 Berlin – Day 1 Keynotes
OpenStack Foundation (OSF) held 'OpenStack Summit Berlin' at Citycube Berlin, Germany from November 13 to 15. 'OpenStack Summit Berlin' was held under the theme of 'Open Infrastructure', with over 200 sessions and workshops in more than 35 projects with experts and representatives from over 50 countries. ‘OpenStack Summit Berlin’ addresses not only the cloud but also innovative technologies and cases of various types of ‘Open Infrastructure’ ranging from edge computing, CI/CD, AI, network virtualization (NFV). And more than 200 sessions and workshops were held in more than 35 open source projects. In particular, Germany, where the summit was held, is considered to be one of the most active areas where OpenStack is used. Large telecommunication companies, enterprises and public cloud service providers in Germany are actively utilizing the OpenStack-based environment, and it is also considered to be an active region in terms of community size and activity. OpenStack Foundation has also released some new news through ‘OpenStack Summit Berlin’. First, with the current progress of four new ‘pilot projects’ which have been introduced at the OpenStack Summit in addition to the OpenStack project in the past year, the new project policy reflecting it was announced. Moreover, the application area of OpenStack has expanded to artificial intelligence and HPC, so various project updates for this were introduced. Meanwhile, the OpenStack Foundation also announced the plan to change the name of the Summit from 'OpenStack Summit' to 'Open Infrastructure Summit' from the next summit. ▲ Jonathan Bryce, executive director of OpenStack Foundation ▲ Now, OpenStack is based on all the forms of ‘Open Infrastructure’. Jonathan Bryce, executive director of OpenStack Foundation, first introduced that OpenStack Summit has become a massive global event, and this summit is a summit held in Europe again after two years in Barcelona in 2016. And he stated that at the recent events, OpenStack showed ‘Open Infrastructure’ as an important message, and there is a need to think about what opportunities there are in terms of technology and community. In addition, 81% of respondents in various surveys answered that open source is expected to be more important in the coming years. In addition, he mentioned ‘flexibility’ over the business model as a point that companies consider significant with considerations of open source, and this is consistent with the results of OpenStack Foundation’s user survey and the survey results from external agencies. This is due to the wide variety of options that the open source ecosystem brings to, and thanks to this, the OpenStack is used not only in many enterprise private clouds, but also in over 75 public cloud data centers around the world, which is a reflection of flexibility over the business. At the same time, Bryce talked about the advantages provided by open source. It protects against vendor lock-in and allows to work across multiple environments, and it also offers advantages in integration and implementation. With open source, it is possible to innovate, in some instances, faster than the market. On top of that, ‘Open Infrastructure’ reflects requested changes in infrastructure over the last few years, such as the emergence of software-defined base, new workloads like Cloud Native and AI. And ‘Open Infrastructure’ combines with open source based technologies, so it has various features including flexibility, innovation, interoperability, and collective intelligence of communities. According to Bryce, the OpenStack project is one of the most vibrant projects around the world, as it had 70,000 commits over the last year, and 182 changes per day in the terms of Rocky release. Now, OpenStack became a software-defined based ‘base infrastructure’ that connects new environments such as containers, and new applications such as AI, machine learning, and edge computing, in addition to VMs and data centers, and encompasses network environments of service providers. Therefore, as the OpenStack Summit covers not just OpenStack, but also a variety of projects, the next summit will be called ‘Open Infrastructure Summit’. ▲ In the case of Oerlikon, the manufacturing environment was optimized after collecting data from machines based on OpenStack. ▲ Kubernetes and OpenStack are now going together. In the case of Oerlikon's ManMade Fibers segment, OpenStack was used to create an infrastructure environment for integrating legacy, container and third-party workloads. In the production of yarn at a fast speed, a little failure that occurs momentarily creates a big problem. So, in order to optimize the process, Oerlikon digitized the combination of machine learning, process integration and automation, and introduced AI technology based on edge computing. This allows 69,120 sensors on 120 machines of the yarn production for the seat belts located geographically far from each other to sense data, view fault graphs, make 350,000 online decisions per day, and optimize models for data collection and training. Nick Barcet, senior director of OpenStack Product Management at Red Hat, stressed that OpenStack is a good tool for ‘Open Infrastructure’ that spans public, private cloud, service providers, NFV, etc. In addition, with many new workload including containers, AI/ML, big data, HPC and direct hardware access, a variety of deployment models, such as containers in VMs, containers on bare metal, and multi-tenant BMaaS are appearing. In these various cases, even OpenStack cannot respond to all of them with OpenStack’s internal technologies. Therefore, when OpenStack and Kubernetes meet, they can be seen as a complement to each other, rather than a competitive one, and Barcet stated that the point where they meet should be the location of ‘Open Infrastructure’. This is also because OpenStack can provide an infrastructure environment for deploying Kubernetes in large environments. And Red Hat has announced ‘Red Hat OpenStack Platform 14’, based on the release of Rocky, at the Berlin Summit. As a feature of the release, reinforcement of OpenStack-based OpenShift capabilities was introduced. This version will be released to public in December. Red Hat also introduced a new Virtual Central Office (VCO) for the edge environment. It is a flexible open pluggable framework that simplifies deployment and management of edge-based services, including OPNFV, OpenStack, Kubernetes, ODL, Ansible, etc. Besides, Red Hat mentioned ‘dynamic migration’, which brings workloads of VMware to an OpenStack-based environment with a GUI-based interface, and introduction of 3-month release cycle, which is faster that the general 6-month cycle for introducing latest functions and accelerating innovations. ▲ Sweden SBAB took advantage of active automation and 'micro services' on OpenStack basis. ▲ Hybrid service with public cloud stack on individual hardware was introduced. In the case of SBAB Bank in Sweden, it was introduced that change in the IT architecture that supports tasks was essential for speeding up important tasks. To this end, many changes were made in the architecture as follows. By dismantling the ‘monolithic’ approach in which all of the existing components were unified, it was possible to focus on speed and customer-facing applications through micro-services based on OpenStack platform. In addition, by applying automation to every possible step, waiting time has been minimized. There was also a great effect in reducing the downtime caused by modification in the deployment, which was a problem in the existing environment. Deutsche Telekom stated that OpenStack is large and sometimes complex, but it is a very flexible platform for all aspects of the cloud. Deutsche Telekom showed demonstration of changing common images into the images with the feel of famous artists, using AI technology serviced by OpenStack-based infrastructure. And it is said that OpenStack-based ‘Open Telekom Cloud’ is now being transformed from infrastructure to platform. In terms of supporting containers, Deutsche Telekom integrates the functions related to the operation of the Kubernetes with OpenStack-based platform and provides enhanced data protection through ‘Kata Container’. Moreover, ‘Day-2-Operations’, which provides professionalism in a reliable operation, offers the best user experience through accurate capacity management based on the accurate analysis and monitoring of the infrastructure. Besides, in aspect of security, the concept of ‘hybrid’ was introduced as taking advantages of both the benefits of a public cloud and the security of separated hardware. It is a full managed hybrid cloud running on separated hardware with OpenStack environment based, and it can be installed and operated in a customer’s data center. ▲ Tilman Schulz, lead, Private Cloud Services, Volkswagen AG, and Lauren Sell, vice president of marketing and community services, OpenStack Foundation ▲ ‘Fusion Cloud’ of Huawei suggests a full-stack cloud solution. Volkswagen group is a long-time user of OpenStack and has been successfully running an OpenStack-based cloud infrastructure since 2015. It introduced that the recent changes in the automobile industry have been extended not only to production and service provision of automobiles, but also to ‘mobility services’, and it was pointed out that it is important to respond cost efficiently and effectively. And in response to this demand, OpenStack-based environment has high performance, reliability, manageability, cost-efficiently, and flexibility and expandability to cope with change. For future tasks, Volkswagen group mentioned performance of upgrades that has less impact on the usage environment. Frank Weyns, chief system architect of Cloud Computing Western Europe in Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. stressed that OpenStack is now the perfect ‘Open Infrastructure’ platform to glue together new technologies, software, hardware, etc. He also highlighted that OpenStack is useful not only in the cloud but also in IoT, and it plays an important role in linking technologies for ‘digital transformation’. What’s more, ‘Full Stack Cloud’ is a model where resource convergence, data intelligence, and service innovation gather together to create the revolution of the general cloud, and the core technologies for this are AI, big data, cloud, DevOps, and edge computing. The introduction of AI technology in the cloud reduces mistakes by human in more complex cloud environments and implements ‘self-healing’ by automatically responding to abnormal situations. Furthermore, in the big data section, he explained that various databases can be combined as needed on an OpenStack basis. In case of the cloud, with a full-stack private cloud that has a feeling of public cloud, IT operations will be simplified, and the service roll-out periods will be dramatically reduced through OpenStack and Kubernetes’s automated orchestrations. Besides, in the edge computing section, the viewpoint of intelligence, mobilization, edge automation, and edge-cloud integration were introduced. ▲ The addition of functionality for Ironic’s infrastructure operators should be the results of project contributions from the operators. ▲ A case of OpenStack infrastructure upgrade without downtime was shared. Meanwhile, OpenStack is now being operated in more than 10 million cores worldwide, and well utilized in a production environment with a variety of new use cases are coming out. Also, the contribution to development is happening all over the world, and in the latest ‘Rocky’ cycle, there were 32,800 changes. A noteworthy trend in terms of contributions is that the percentage of ‘operator’ participation is increasing. With the increase of collaboration with operators in the project team and the increase of operator’s participation in PTG, it was explained that 25% of all commits are contributed by operators. At the same time, it was introduced that the latest update of Ironic allows operators to make changes to their BIOS settings with software tools to make it easier to deploy OpenStack’s bare metal. In addition, the new hardware architecture supports ARM architecture as well as x86, and the Cyborg project enabled direct use of GPU, FPGA to accelerate workloads of AI and machine learning. Besides, the size of the deployment has been further reduced to make it more versatile, and Magnum now became the official Kubernetes installer in terms of infrastructure support over compute. It was introduced that OVH was mentioned as the operating example of an OpenStack-base public cloud. OVH operates global scale bare metal, private and public cloud at 28 data centers and 360,000 servers. And OpenStack is not only the main layer of their public cloud, but also the abstract layer of bare metal and internally the foundation of its own infrastructure. In an OpenStack-based environment, they complete an initial configuration of a new region in about eight hours, and successfully completed a region-level version upgrade where up to 50,000 instances are operated in four hours without downtime with a year of R&D. In addition, NVIDIA Tesla-based GPU cloud was implemented as a hardware direct connection in an OpenStack basis via PCI passthrough.
Review
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Park Hyatt Busan’s Living Room Bar Presents Festive Cocktails
Park Hyatt Busan's Living Room Bar, one of the most romantic dating spots for lovers well known for its stunning night views of Gwangan Bridge and live performances, is pleased to present its four Christmas cocktails. All of which uniquely presented making for the perfect combination of drink and atmosphere. First, “Dear Mr. Santa” is a gin-based cocktail mixed with Cointreau, beet juice and cranberry foam. Its name derives from its presentation resembling Santa Claus himself with his red clothes and white beard. “Snow Flower” is a sake-based cocktail with peach liqueur, Campari & cranberry juice, mixed to perfection for a light cocktail suited for all tastes. Another unique creation is our reinterpretation of a U.S. and European favorite: “Brandy Egg-nog” is our twist on this truly festive drink featuring vanilla syrup and whipped cream making it the smoothest of all. Lastly, our non-alcoholic “Festive Fizz,” will be introduced, using fresh strawberries and whipped cream, allowing guests to enjoy a sweet and creamy cocktail. These festive cocktails, which will make the upcoming Christmas and the year-end even more romantic, will be available until 31 December, with prices starting at KRW 16,000 (including taxes). Living Room Bar is open from 6 PM until 1 AM Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 PM to 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. For information or reservations, please call +82 51 990 1300.
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LINE GAMES Announces Global Launch of Mobile Narrative CCG “Destiny Child”
- Begins service in 164 countries worldwide for Android and iOS - Has achieved no.1 grossing game app in Korea, and is currently servicing in Korea and Japan - Users can log in from various platforms, including Android, iOS and more Seoul, South Korea – December 6, 2018 - LINE GAMES Corporation’s mobile CCG “Destiny Child” is now available to download and play in 164 countries on Android and iOS. The game is available in five different languages, including English, French, and Chinese. Developed by LINE GAMES and SHIFTUP, Destiny Child is a mobile CCG (Collectable Character Game) featuring the adventures of a lethargic Demon King candidate and his three supproting succubi, ‘Mona’, ‘Lisa’ and ‘Davi’. Users can collect and nurture over 300 characters, each with their own story, to unlock their full potentials and assemble all-star teams for various strategic plays. The game features industry leading Live2D artworks by Korea’s famous illustrator Hyung-tae Kim, CEO of SHIFTUP, and offers versatile game modes that users can explore, from main scenario-based quests to PvPs like ‘Devil Rumble’, and daily missions including ‘Underground’, and ‘Event Dungeon’. First launched in Korea in 2016, Destiny Child has establishsed itself as a popular IP, achieving No. 1 grossing game app just three days after its release on Apple App Store and Google Play. Embracing players and illustration enthusiasts, the game has held annual illustration contests, as well as offline artwork exhibition that all players can actively participate. Celebrating the game’s global launch, LINE GAMES will carry out a special event ‘Devil Festa’, which will reward participants with valuable items including ‘5-star character summon scroll’ and ’10,000 onyx’. Meanwhile, LINE GAMES is supporting multiple log in options to offer more convenient service to users worldwide. Users can choose to log in from their Android and iOS accounts, as well as social media accounts like LINE and Facebook. For more information on Destiny Child, visit official Facebook( https://www.facebook.com/destinychild.official ) and Destiny Child Global Community( https://moot.us/lounges/73 ). ■ Press Contacts LINE GAMES Press Team: dl_press@line.GAMES ■ About LINE GAMES Corporation LINE GAMES Corporation ("LINE GAMES") is an affiliate company of LINE Corporation (“LINE”) specializing in game business. Based in Seoul, Korea, LINE GAMES was established along with LINE’s acquisition of Korea’s leading game developer and publisher, NextFloor in August 2018. LINE GAMES is working closely with the global messenger platform LINE to develop and service high quality titles for diverse genres and platforms. As a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software, LINE GAMES is currently pursuing global expansion of its game business, starting with series of global releases of its major hits including ‘Dragon Flight’ and ‘Destiny Child’.
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EBS Documentary [Korea Travelogue : Life Is a Road Movie] Watching Guide
■ Introduction Nature seems to have soothing powers that comforts us. We often find ourselves longing for the green mountains and the blue oceans in the midst of the hectic lives and constant stress. EBS Korea Travelogue is a TV program that takes you to the hidden beauties of Korea. The history, traditions, architecture, and culture of Korea is delivered through vivid images. For those of you who can’t enjoy a day off, Korea Travelogue introduces people who are living their dreams in nature. Shall we look into the lives of those who ride bikes across the fields, live by and with the ocean, and farm for the fruits of hard work? ■ Where Are You Going Today? Sang-Sun Kim received a motorcycle from a friend fifteen years ago. He takes his motorcycle into the country every weekend. Riding the motorcycle allows him to feel and look at things he has missed driving a car. Today, San-Sun Kim rides to Yangyang, Gangwon-do to visit his old friend. Watching him ride pass the mountains and lakes almost feels like we are on the motorcycle with him. The friend he is meeting is Sang-Sun Nam. The two friends with the same names met in Sokcho, Gangwon-do and has been friends for a long time. They were separated when Sang-Sun Kim had to move to Seoul for work, but they still think of each other dearly. With his motorcycle, Sang-Sun Kim is able to meet new people in new places and visit old friends who live far away. Now he is off to a new destination for his own little road movie. ■ Like a Flowing River Let’s meet our new guest in Yangpyeong, GyeongGi-do. Chang-Jin Kim runs an outdoor learning camp for children. Chang-Jin makes recorders of all shapes out of clay. Watching a frog made out of clay turn into a recorder is just marvelous. He especially likes to make frog, salamander, and toad shaped recorders to show his apologies to the animals harmed by humans’ greed. Making clay recorders got Chang-Jin interested in sounds, which led him to make his own speakers, and to plant trees around the house to attract birds for their chirping. Chang-Jin has not always lived in Yangpyeong. It has been fifteen years since he left the swamped life of the city and settled here surrounded by beautiful sounds. Sounds of nature is now a crucial part of Chang- Jin’s life. The sound of frogs coming out of hibernation in April and the sound of geese coming back home in November gives Chang-Jin his strength. It looks like Chang-Jin has found himself at home in the peaceful nature. ■ Let's go Visit Now Where is the one place you think of when you feel homesick? Let us introduce you to a place full of nostalgia: Shinan, JeollaNam-do. Korea’s west coast has islands that are estranged then rejoined due to the high tidal range. Shinan, JeollaNam-do has an 18km pathway, which used to be stepping-stones put in place to ward off evil spirits. This pathway connects six islands from Byungpoong-do, and it is open all day except during the high tides. The women of Byungpoong-do just finished their potato harvest and are gathered around for lunch. They start “Sandai”, a folk song singing done in groups, which originated from the cities of southwest coast: a performance that can rarely be seen elsewhere. Watching the entire town working and living like one big family brings about great nostalgia. Shinan used to be the trading center for natural sea salt. Although decreased in number, there are still operating sea salt farms on the island. Seawater crystallizing into natural salt is like watching a life grow and ripen. Myung-Seok Lee, an owner of one of the salt farms, promises to think of the farm as a gold mine and keep it safe. Myung-Seok Kim’s passion reminds us that it is things that change, not people. ■ That's How You Become a Farmer Yang-Hee moved back home to the countryside three years ago and is now starting to get used to farming different crops. Her next goal after corn is Shiitake mushroom. Most of her friends worry about her and the demanding work of a farmer, but Yang-Hee is confident. Yang-Hee and her brother Yoon-Seok say that there is a lot more to farming than just the financial outcomes. Planting the seeds, caring for it night and day comes the joy of harvesting the fruits of hard labor. This keeps them working on the field every day. Jin-Chul Shin and Hee-Jeong Jung also started farming for a living ten years ago. The couple grows mulberries and never once used chemical pesticides. The couple started with a solid philosophy and a promise that they will not farm to earn a fortune and has been keeping the promise ever since. Once harvesting of mulberries is done in the summer, the rest of the year is vacation. The couple enjoys their free time making jam for their friends. The reason for their move to the countryside was Hee-Jeong’s health. Hee-Jeong recovered from her illness, but they have realized that healthy body and mind comes from healthy environment and work. The couple’s goal now is to “work less and live healthy”. ■ Conclusion Just like how everyone is born with different faces, everyone has different definitions of happiness. Today we looked at the lives of those who have found their happiness in nature. The birds chirping, ocean sparkling with sunlight and fruits ripening overtime will stay with them through the good and bad of life. How about taking some time off the busy city life and enjoying the nature to make your own ‘road movie’ of memories? * Video available on Youtube. English narration and subtitles provided. Part 1. Where are you going today? Part 2. Like a Flowing River Part 3. Adventures of the Three Musketeers Part 4. Let's go Visit Now Part 5. That's How You Become a Farmer
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[KANTAR] Technology Enabled Research!
Market research seeks to identify consumer perceptions, and because it is based on consumer responses coming from their incomplete (i.e., difficult to interpret or express) perceptions, producing accurate results has always been a challenge. To overcome this obstacle, technology-enabled research, a market research applying technology and scientific methodologies, has increased. This article will briefly explore how technology-enabled market research is being used and to what extent it can be applied to market research in the future. ■ Neuroscience Neuroscience has been used in market research for quite a long time. Typical examples include measuring brain activity, eye movement, and irritation analysis. Case 1: EEG(Electro-encephalography): A method to record electrical activity of the brain, measuring consumer reactions such as excitement or frustration to a particular stimulus. It is used in innovation research such as new product launch, concept ideation, and idea development. Case 2: Eye-tracking: A method to measure consumers’ eye movement. It aims to identify and analyze patterns of consumers’ visual attention by observing in-store consumer behavior and tracking their reactions to advertisement. Case 3: GSR (Galvanic skin response): A method to observe consumer reactions to an external stimulus (e.g. Audiovisual stimulus including concept, advertisement, new product). GSR simply measures how intuitive the stimulus is to consumers, and how quickly and easily it links with them. The following shows the brain’s response pattern towards a stimulus. Diagram 1: Brain response pattern to a stimulus The above response pattern can be applied to general market research. Shorter response time for a given stimulus (question) indicates that the stimulus is accepted as highly intuitive. This shows that those that achieved a faster response are more intuitively appealing to consumers than those with just a high response rate. Ex) Neuroscience analysis based on response time The quadrant graph below shows that the ‘new' and 'protective/caring' images as well as the ‘kind/loving,’ ‘comfortable,’ and ‘gentle’ images are all well-delivered to consumers. However, there exists a difference between these images in terms of how intuitive they are. Late consumer response indicates the need for rational judgement, which proves less effective in an environment full of stimulus that requires instant and intuitive message delivery. This emphasizes the importance of understanding the level of intuitive association, rather than just reaching a conclusion only based on consumer responses. ■ A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) Artificial intelligence is being used today in a variety of fields: artificial intelligence speakers, translation, human emotion recognition, linkage between visual images with emotional codes and even creations. Among AI applications, a technology that decodes human expression (and changes in the facial expression) has already been commercialized. Ex) Decoding various human expressions The viewer's emotion will continue to change while watching the 15-second commercial. Communication creative, such as commercials, contains numerous emotional factors those are difficult to be put into words. Decoding changes in facial expression enables various interpretation based on the understanding of these emotions. Ex 2) Can emotions regarding an image or a symbol be decoded? To establish a strong brand image, companies create “brand emotion” using various symbols including logo, color, visual, etc. What kind of emotions do these visuals or symbols arouse? Decoding emotion is about decoding human nature. The following diagram shows a tool to interpret various visual images based on Carl Jung’s analysis on psychological archetype: For instance, different symbols and visual aids should be applied to deliver a sophisticated & premium image as well as a dynamic image. Examples are as follows: A.I algorithm also makes it possible to instantly decode consumers’ emotions toward visual images. By using an A.I Decoder, one can decode consumers’ emotions towards every visual aspect involved in brand activities, including commercial, online, retail stores, logo, images exposed on Facebook/YouTube, leaflet, magazine advertisement, and used color and this allows consistency in brand communication. Human language and thoughts are not perfect. However, this technology-enabled approach, created to overcome limitations of past research methods, will lead to an establishment of insightful and inspirational communication strategies based on a discovery of consumers’ true purchase driver. ========== For more information, please contact Robert Kang Senior Account Director Kantar Robert.Kang@Kantartns.com +82 2 3779 4433
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[Media Actually] Trends of 2018 Chuseok Pilot Programs: ‘Encounter’, ‘Hobby’, ‘Knowledge’
The competition for the pilot programs was fierce in Chuseok(literally ‘Autumn eve’) this year. In total, the number of pilot programs, which was 12, was less than last year (which was 17). However, various programming strategies were tried; 6 one-off programs, 4 regular programs starting from Chuseok, and 2 holiday season programs. By broadcasting company, KBS showed 5, SBS 2, MBC 2, tvN 2, and Channel A 1, and KBS produced the most pilot programs this year as last year. MBC, once called as the strongest player in the pilot program, has not been able to make new attempts since the general strike last year, while KBS has been steadily making aggressive attempts. The pilot program is advantageous in that it can reduce the risk of viewer ratings and production costs by watching the reactions of viewers before organizing the regular program. On the other hand, it can also be a checkpoint for checking the current and future entertainment trends and flows. ◆ Trends of 2018 Chuseok pilot programs are ‘Encounter’, ‘Hobby’, ‘Knowledge’ ① 'Encounter,’ which contains our ordinary stories Among 2018 Chuseok pilot programs, there were many "encounters". In case of SBS <Big Picture Family>, where four stars opened the photo shop with the concept of "the best shot to shoot and share while living" and take pictures with various people’s stories, the program featured encounters with ordinary viewers looking for photo shops. In case of MBC <Secret Workshop>, the encounter with the protagonist in the old things, tvN <Mom I’m Here> and KBS <Mother and Mackerel> illuminated the re-encounters with the celebrities and their parents, who lived together for a long time. As the programs that covered encounter as a theme recorded the top ratings among all of the Chuseok pilot programs, they were in fact the winners of Chuseok pilot programs. Despite the fact that it was not a whole new attempt to put the stories of the public on the broadcast, the reason why the material that deals with someone's encounter recently became popular is that “meeting people” and the “way” of meeting with them and dealing with the story changed. In the past, it was a way of "introducing" those who were somewhat different and extraordinary people, but recently, they deal with the everyday stories of ordinary people who can be seen from anywhere through natural "encounter". The peak of this trend was JTBC <Hyori’s Homestay>. The popularity factors of <Hyori’s Homestay> included not only the daily life of Lee Hyori and her husband but also sympathy shared by the ordinary and simple life of those who visited the guest house of Hyori. So then, the have been paying more attention to dealing with lives that are not much different from the ordinary people when dealing with the lives of celebrities. This trend can be read from the fact that “I Live Alone” and “My Little Old Boy” became popular while “Master of Living”, “Capture the Moment How is that Possible” and “Hello Counselor” were popular in the past. ② From travel to 'Hobby' The keyword for 2017 Chuseok pilot program was 'Travel'. Still, there were some differences in concepts, but six of the 17 pilot programs dealt with travel. However, was it tired of too many travel programs, or was there a gap between trips that anyone could not leave on easily? There was not even one program among the pilot programs this year. Instead, they started to look at ‘hobby’ what people can easily try and enjoy in the daily life. SBS <Big Picture Family> dealt with the picture, and MBC <Secret Workshop> dealt with the workshop. They reflected the emotions and tastes of the young generation sharing and proud of their hobbies on SNS and YouTube. Hobby matches well with ‘SoHwakHeang(meaning small or a little but definitely happiness)’ in that people can try with a little money if they put their mind to through such as ‘one-day class’ and ‘YouTube self-study’, compared to a trip that takes more time and money. <Big Picture Family> and <Secret Workshop> basically have memories and stories in objects and photographs as a large framework, but they created more fun by adding a hobby. ③ Extension of Knowledge Delivery Area Recently, knowledge delivery programs such as lectures have appeared. The infotainment program has been produced steadily in the meantime, but its domain has shifted from a high level of knowledge to common knowledge, basic knowledge, and behavioral psychology. And it started to be produced even in the program called "The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge”. The program deals with the desire for knowledge that is worth knowing in reality. 2018 Chuseok pilot program has applied various methods such as lectures, quizzes, and reasoning for knowledge delivery. In particular, KBS introduced a quiz platform, which has recently become popular in such as 'Jam Live', 'You Quiz on the Block', 'Sweet Quiz Room', and produced <Troublemakers in Rooftop House>, <Battle of Teachers>, and <Quiz on the Korea>. Moreover, tvN focused on human psychology and broadcasted <Just Happened Lab>. Therefore, how to convey knowledge in a funny way and not to feel like teaching might be the key to success of the program.
