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[G-Star 2018] Soft-World’s Sejin Lee and 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.

[G-Star 2018] Soft-World Set Itself up as a Helper of Korean Companies for Advancing into Great China

[G-Star 2018] Netmarble Games Targeted Global with Its Masterpiece Line up

[G-Star 2018] Kakao Games Succeeded in G-Star with Ryan & 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 & 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.

PAX Aus 2018 Panel Schedule Announced

PAX Aus 2018, taking place 26-28 Oct. at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has announced this year’s panel schedule. The line-up is available now on the show’s website with more details coming soon. Once again, PAX Aus will bring global industry leaders and upcoming talent together, including the biggest names in gaming, such as Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, Ubisoft, and Bandai Namco, all of whom will feature an exciting array of playable upcoming titles. PAX Aus 2018 will boast its biggest schedule of panels yet with more than 125 sessions, including keynote speaker Rhianna Pratchett. Best known for her written work on Tomb Raider (2013), Mirror’s Edge and The Overlord series, Pratchett will be lending her narrative prowess to this year’s “Storytime” keynote. The hosts of Outside Xbox - the world’s favourite unofficial Xbox channel with over 2.2m subscribers – and its companion gaming channel, Outside Xtra, will be hosting a live show, Q&A panel, a PAX Movie Night and signing session over the weekend. PAX Aus will finish, as per tradition, with the penultimate event – The Omegathon – which sees attendees showdown in games throughout the weekend until there is one final winner. Penny Arcade will also be holding several panels and live sessions throughout the show. “We’re just a few weeks away from PAX Aus 2018, and it’s going to be a gargantuan show,” said Luke Lancaster, content manager, PAX Aus. “I’m not sure what the collective noun for panels is, but we’ll need to use it four or five times. The exhibitor lineup will test the structural integrity of the MCEC. It will be like staring into the sun, except you can for real do it at PAX.” Tickets for PAX Aus 2018 are still currently available for sale via the official registration page although they are selling quickly and only single-day passes remain. Registration for press and content creator passes is open and applications can be submitted through the form on the website. Media registration closes one month before the show. To learn more, visit the official website or follow PAX Aus 2018 on Facebook and Twitter.

PAX Australia 2018 Indie Showcase Winners Announced

PAX Aus 2018, taking place 26-28 Oct. 2018 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, will highlight six new and exciting titles from independent developers as part of this year’s PAX Aus Indie Showcase. Chosen from a huge assortment of submissions by a panel of industry veterans, the six games join the ranks of previous Showcase winners such as Hollow Knight, Hacknet and Objects in Space. The 2018 PAX Aus Indie Showcase will be featured on the exhibition floor as part of PAX Rising, an area dedicated to indie games. The Indie Showcase is a snapshot of the best of the local industry, oozing innovation, style, and technical mastery. “The rest of the world should fidget uncomfortably, because the work we see every year from Aussie and New Zealand developers is compelling beyond compare.” said Luke Lancaster, content manager, PAX Aus. “2018’s Indie Showcase winners are no different, and PAX is incredibly proud to share these six games with everyone come October.” The winners of the PAX Aus Indie Showcase for 2018 are listed below. Spin Rhythm Developed by Super Entertainment http://spinrhythmgame.com/ Spin Rhythm is fresh take on rhythm games featuring sharp, colourful visuals where players rotate in time with thumping upbeat music while riding through otherworldly environments. Infliction Developed by Caustic Reality http://www.causticreality.com/ Infliction is a surreal horror title that explores the tragic secrets hidden the behind locked doors of an average suburban home. Relentlessly pursued by a vengeful spirit through the remnants of a once-happy family home, players must live long enough to piece together the events and choices that led the characters to this point and find a way to end the horror. Double Shot Developed by Aberrant Realities https://doubleshotvr.com/ Double Shot brings bartending and gunslinging to the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality. Step into the shoes of a slick ‘80s action hero and use elite bartending skills to mix drinks, fend off bad guys and earn stacks of cash in a sleek futuristic setting. Dissembler Developed by Ian MacLarty http://www.dissembler-game.com/ Dissembler is a subtle puzzle game about unravelling bold, abstract designs one colour at a time. Featuring over 120 hand-crafted levels, Dissembler is a gentle experience that guides the player through solving complex puzzles requiring planning and lateral thinking. Major League teleBlast Developed by Tim Veletta http://www.majorleagueteleblast.com/ Major League teleBlast is a sports game with a twist. Outblast opponents in fast paced combat with up to 4 players using explosive teleportation powers that can cause damage to both yourself and others, making each round a hectic battle for supremacy Mars Underground Developed by Moloch Media https://www.molochmedia.com/ Mars Underground, influenced by classic LucasArts adventure games and 16-bit SNES RPGs and films like Groundhog Day and Donnie Darko, is an apocalyptic adventure game where players can explore the possibilities of a time loop.

TGS Forum 2018 Outline Determined

TOKYO GAME SHOW 2018 (Organizer: Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association [Abbreviation: CESA, Chairman: Hideki Hayakawa], Co-Organizer: Nikkei BP [President: Suguru Niinomi], Period: September 21 to 24, Venue: Makuhari Messe / hereafter “TGS2018”) has determined the event outline for “TGS Forum 2018” to be held on the Business Day Thursday, September 20th and Friday, September 21st. “TGS Forum 2018” will have a special session and a sponsorship session on September 22nd (Friday) in addition to the keynote held on the 21st (Thursday). On September 21st (Thursday), the first day of the event, we hold a keynote panel by key persons from the game industry. They will discuss the challenges and solutions on “e-Sports”, the competitive gaming which is becoming a medal sport at international sports meetings like the Asian Games. ※Outline of Sponsorship Sessions will be revealed on mid- August. On the afternoon of September 20th (Thursday), top companies and representatives from the video game industry will gather and hold the “Global Game Business Summit 2018 (GGBS 2018)” to exchange opinions on video game business trends around the world. The theme of GGBS 2018 is “How domestic games could win in the worldwide competition.” It has been said that domestic games are less competitive than Western video games on the global market because of its style and the development cost. But some domestic game titles have won overseas awards in past few years and expand their presence in the global markets. Furthermore, there are some global hit titles. Along with the increase in multi-platform games and the appearance of new ways to have fun with games, what kind of marketing strategies may be needed? The session will explore future possibilities of Japanese game industry by learning from the success of domestic hit makers. On September 21st (Friday), we have several Expert sessions focusing on the game industry. Leading figures will talk about the new business and technologies and the trend of the industry. ※Speakers and schedule of Expert Sessions will be revealed on middle August. Advance registration for “TGS Forum 2018” and “GGBS 2018” started on today via the official website (http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/forum/). Attendance for “TGS Forum 2018” and “GGBS 2018” is free of charge. However, a TGS2018 Business Day visitor badge will be required. Therefore, be sure to complete the advanced registration for Business Day visitors in order to be issued a badge before entering the site. - Business Day Advance Registration Has Begun, and the Convenient “Business Day Gold Pass” is also On Sale Advance registration for the Business Day for game industry personnel has started via the official website. In addition to applying for a “Business Day Registration Ticket”, paid registration (5,000 yen, including tax) is also available (after application, there is a predetermined confirmation). In addition, a limited number of “Business Day Gold Passes” will be available, allowing you to enter the site smoothly through a special reception and giving access to the “Asia Business Gateway” appointment system for holding negotiations with exhibitors and negotiations with other visitors (for those who have a Business Day Registration Ticket the price of the pass is 20,000 yen (including tax), and for those without a Business Day Registration Ticket, the price including the Business Day Advance Registration fee is 25,000 yen (including tax)). The Business Day Gold Pass will give you access to the Business Lounge set up on the 2nd floor of the Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall and allow you join the International Party [Friday September 21 (Friday) from 5:30 pm / Venue: International Conference Hall 1F Lounge], providing a comfortable environment for handling business negotiations. For more details, please visit the official website.

The record 366 Exhibitors for TOKYO GAME SHOW 2018 (As of July 3rd) The outline of e-Sports X is released

888 Holdings Deploys MaxBill from LogNet Billing for B2B and B2C Billing and Partner Management

LogNet Billing, the provider of Modern Billing solutions for service providers worldwide, today announced that the company has deployed its MaxBill solution to deliver B2B and B2C billing and partner management for 888 Holdings, one of the world’s most popular online gaming operators and solution providers. 888 Holdings maintains a B2C line of business that directly operates a number of prominent online gaming sites under its 888 brand and a B2B business unit through which the company provides turnkey solutions based on its proprietary gaming technology and associated platforms to other operators of online gaming sites. The MaxBill solution is being used by 888 Holdings for both its B2B and B2C business units to create a standardized framework to streamline and manage its business processes relating to customer and partner management, reconciliation and billing. MaxBill provides 888 Holdings with a unified platform and an essential set of tools to define and manage the unique business relationships the company maintains with its online gaming operator customers and the complex revenue sharing schemes it has with third party content providers. By supporting any business model with automated processes, MaxBill improves the business agility, security and capacity of 888 Holdings by allowing the company to enter into multilayered business agreements and tiered revenue sharing schemes with its customers and partners. MaxBill also significantly expands the business parameters available and reduce the resources required to support these agreements. “LogNet Billing and MaxBill have proven experience in the gaming space and we have strong expectations,” stated Andrew Anthony, Director of Finance Project Delivery at 888 Holdings. “By consolidating and streamlining business processes on the MaxBill solution, we are improving the efficiency and security protection of our operation and the way we work with our customers and partners.” “We are pleased to be expanding in the gaming industry and welcome 888 Holdings as a MaxBill customer” said Kirill Rechter, CEO at LogNet Billing. “888 Holdings has a strong and globally recognized brand for which we are proud to provide our modern and multi-play billing solution.”

InstaVR Inc Raises $5 Million Series B to Further Rapid Growth in Enterprise VR Authoring Platform Use

InstaVR Inc (http://www.instavr.co), a virtual reality (VR) authoring, publishing, and analysis company, announced today it has closed a Series B funding round, which will help further its mission of empowering enterprise businesses to create VR applications. The company received $5 million in additional capital, bringing its total funding to date to $7.2 million. New participants in the funding round are YJ Capital, ITOCHU Technology Ventures, and Mizuho Capital Partners, who join follow-on investors GREE Ventures, COLOPL NEXT, and The Venture Reality Fund (The VR Fund). The company’s technology enables businesses to quickly and easily author interactive 360-degree VR apps and publish them for all major VR headsets, as well as desktop and mobile devices with a single click. Since launching in early 2016, over 30,000 clients have used InstaVR to publish 200,000+ VR pieces of content. Clients include Toyota, Hilton, TUI Group, PwC, US Navy, and GOV.UK. Recent solution enhancements include streamlined publishing to the new Oculus Go, application access via background streaming/download, and the option for clients to add in-app purchases. The new funding round will be used to expand the InstaVR team and further invest in the company’s enterprise offering (“InstaVR Central”), which helps larger businesses to use VR as a primary means of employee training. Daniel H. Haga, Founder of InstaVR, said: “As VR has gained more widespread adoption, companies are seeing the value of utilizing the technology for creating impactful and memorable immersive experiences, such as new employee onboarding and ongoing training. This round of funding helps InstaVR accelerate our plans to empower major corporations and organizations to more fully realize the benefits of VR.” InstaVR provides a powerful solution set that doesn’t require coding, meaning multiple divisions within enterprises can benefit from easily authoring and distributing VR applications. Global organizations can use InstaVR to significantly increase employee performance by building immersive and interactive VR applications, while significantly reducing per employee spending on training. “The future of employee learning is immersive,” said Haga. “Being able to quickly build and distribute VR training modules is a huge competitive advantage for our clients. We’ve worked with thousands of clients to understand how we can give them better tools to make VR effectively. We’re proud to continue leading the way in making VR accessible to all businesses.”

PAX Unplugged 2018 Dates Announced; Tickets on Sale Now

Tickets for PAX Unplugged 2018, the tabletop-centric entry in the international line-up of PAX events, taking place Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2018 at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center, are on sale now. Single-day badges for the event will be available for $30, while three-day badges will cost $65. Pre-sale merchandise, including branded blankets, socks, and dice will be available as well. Established in 2017, PAX Unplugged delivers the experience PAX attendees have enjoyed for more than a decade, but with a focus on celebrating card, board, and other tabletop games. Now in its second year, the show will build on the success from the inaugural PAX Unplugged, where tabletop fans had the opportunity to witness the reveal of new games, go hands-on with exciting upcoming titles, play in tournaments, and participate in panels with industry leaders. Produced by ReedPOP, in conjunction with Penny Arcade, PAX– West, East, South, Dev, Unplugged, and Australia – have become some of the world’s largest gaming conventions, each with tens of thousands of guests every year. Every show is a celebration of gaming culture, where prominent game creators connect directly with the gaming community via panels, demos, concerts, tournaments, and freeplay sessions. For more information on PAX Unplugged 2018, check out the official PAX Unplugged website.

TGS 2018 “Indie Game Area” “SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT” now accepting applications

TOKYO GAME SHOW 2018, organized by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and co-organized by Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP) decided to carry out two projects and started accepting applications for them to support the independent game developers: one is “Indie Game Area (type A),” the exhibition area of free-of-charge, and the other is “SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2018 (SOWN 2018),” the contest to determine the excellent game ideas from the exhibitors in the Indie Game Area (type A). Since it was established in 2013, Indie Game Area (type A) has offered to exhibit the titles which pass the screening and will have many visitors including the game industry professionals to gamer funs every year. In TGS2017, 64 developers from 18 countries/regions, screened from 332 applicants from 40 countries/regions, had exhibited in the Indie Game Area (type A). On the other hand, SOWN is established in 2008 as a project to showcase game ideas that will give the players “Sense of Wonder” － a feeling that something will change in players’ world. This had been originally held alone, but has changed to the project to give a chance to be the SOWN presenters selected from Indie Game Area (type A) exhibitors, to present their own game ideas from 2017. In the TGS2017, eight developers appeared on the stage as the presenters of SOWN. It is now confirmed that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) decided to support indie game developers as a special sponsor for both projects. Developers whose titles selected by the TGS Management Office get to exhibit in the Indie Game Area (Type A) for free. Also, SIE co-sponsors SOWN2018. Both projects will be carried out with the cooperation of International Game Developers Association Japan Chapter (IGDA Japan). Through these projects, TGS will provide opportunities to disseminate new games created by independent game developers to the world.

Black Desert's Global Costume Design Contest Voting Starts Today

Pearl Abyss opened up their main voting event for Black Desert Online’s Global Costume Design contest today. The submissions are now closed and the final voting stages have begun. Communities all around the world can vote ( https://www.pearlabyss.com )and decide which costume design is worthy of moving on to the final stage. After the vote, the global top 10 submissions will remain to compete for the grand prize. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000, a special in-game title and last but not least, their winning design will be recreated in-game. Global top 10 prizes are available including $3,000 for the best design per territory. The runner-up designs will also be considered to be implemented in-game. “We are very proud to be hosting our very first global event. We were surprised by the overwhelming number of participants that showed their love and support for the event,” said Seoyoon Kim, Head of the Black Desert Online Business Division at Pearl Abyss. “There were so many talented artists from all around the world, it will definitely be hard to choose just one winner. The competition is about to get even more interesting, we hope everyone will take part in the main event. I wish all of the remaining contestants the best of luck!” Voting for the global top 10 costume designs will start today, March 29th UTC 06:00 and ends on April 2nd UTC 14:59. The final round to decide the Global Grand Prize winner of this contest will begin on April 4th and end on April 9th.

The International Future Computing Association Launches at GDC

At a special launch event during the Game Developers Conference sponsored by Intel, market leaders announced The International Future Computing Association (TIFCA) which is built from the merging of the Open Gaming Alliance and the Immersive Technology Alliance. TIFCA's mission is to lay the groundwork and enhance the viability of building what's next. TIFCA will do this through several key initiatives including: influential membership meetings, stakeholder education, international market-building events, special initiatives, and more. Future computing refers to turning dreams into reality with computer technology and media. This requires a balance of three pillars that include computer processing and peripherals, immersive technology, and innovative content and applications. Goals include finding new uses and audiences for computer horsepower, connecting bleeding edge vendors with revenue generating clients, and giving influential industry players and content makers the tools and skills needed to benefit from present and future innovations. TIFCA is divided into three specialized groups: The Computing Technologists Group (CTG) grows the computer horsepower and peripheral ecosystems and is the backbone of turning big dreams into fruitful realities. CTG is Chaired by Frank Soqui, Vice-President and General Manager of Virtual Reality for Intel Corp. Activities are geared towards technology makers and OEMs working with PC, cloud, console, and mobile devices. "The evolution of computing and its role in technology innovation requires a strong ecosystem and a vision for the future. Intel has been instrumental in driving nearly 50 years of computing innovation and we look forward to collaborating with TIFCA and our partners to define what's next," said Frank Soqui, Vice-President at Intel and Chair of the Computing Technologists Group within TIFCA. The Immersive Technology Alliance (ITA) enhances the adoption and viability of immersive technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, stereoscopic 3D, and more. The ITA is chaired by Daryl Sartain, Director and Worldwide Head of VR, AI/ML, Displays, TV & Music Ecosystems at Advanced Micro Devices. Participants include device makers, IP makers, immersive content creators and toolsets, as well as academia. "AMD has been a member of TIFCA's base for three years. We support them because they give us the data we need to make informed decisions and everything they do is focused on improving the bottom line of their membership," said Daryl Sartain, Director of VR for AMD and Chair of the Immersive Technology Alliance within TIFCA. The Alliance of Content Creators (ACC) advances generations of innovative content & applications. The ACC is chaired by Wanda Meloni, CEO of M2 Insights. Types of content that are represented include video games, entertainment, enterprise, education, healthcare, and more. Participants include content creators and content creation toolmakers. "The Open Gaming Alliance has worked with the Immersive Technology Alliance for many years. Having the OGA and ITA join forces to create this new trade organization is extremely exciting given the market opportunities for inspired future computing applications and professionals. It is the natural progression, and the potential has been clear to us for some time, with this bringing it all now full circle," said Wanda Meloni, CEO of M2 Insights and Chair of the Alliance of Content Creators. "When groups of visionary companies and innovators get together like this, bright technological futures become impending realities. It's an honor to help build these realities," said Neil Schneider, Executive Director of TIFCA. Neil Schneider has served as Executive Director for The Immersive Technology Alliance since 2009, and is the Founder of the Meant to be Seen community where several leading innovations got their start. TIFCA membership meetings will begin in April, 2018. Media and prospective members who missed the launch can register on TIFCA's website for news about the organization and follow-up events. Learn more at www.tifca.com

Busan Game Company Meets the World through 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business’

One of the biggest worries for companies developing games is how many people are informed about the game. There are so many new games released around the world that it is hard to count, but there are not many games that enjoy popularity among users as well as being recognized for their value. In addition, as launching a global market is considered to be a natural step, there are more areas where game companies need to be careful, but there would be many difficulties to cope smoothly. In some cases, companies are pushed into global market entry although they did not know what to prepare, or missed a critical time, or did not know how. Opened by Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency in September 2015 with support from Busan Metropolitan City, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Creative Content Agency, Busan Global Game Center (BGC) is helping local game companies achieve their global market entry through efficient methods at the most right time. In the second half of 2017, it launched 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business', which helped companies in need of global market entry. Through the first support business, companies such as Park ESM, which developed the casual arcade game 'BugsBox m', Golden Pig Entertainment, which developed the tank shooting action games ‘Future Savior: Tank War’ based on web novel, and Thunder Games, which developed a clicker RPG ‘Rebirth King’, were selected as support companies and are getting ready for overseas entry with systematic support. ▲ Busan Global Game Center actively promoted 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business'. So, how did 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business' proceed and what kind of overseas entry strategies are established through the support business? 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business' is a project to support the marketing of games with high potential for success, which was discovered through suggesting directions of global launching and operational know-hows. The business is largely divided into three phases; 'consulting', 'global launching', and ‘global service’. Participants also mentioned ‘information about global release' and 'analysis of market data' as reasons for participating in this support business. Kang Donghyeok, CEO of Golden Pig Entertainment, expressed about his participation motive. “I started to serve mid-core games while mainly serving casual games, and there was a lot of difficulty with a completely different atmosphere from casual games. In the meantime, ‘Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business’ was going on, and I applied for it to get help for the shortages.” Lee Seungchan, CEO of Park ESM, said, “As we introduced games on PCs or consoles, the new game received a good response on other platforms, and despite the recommendation of mobile conversion, we lacked the ability to support other language for global services and overseas market analysis data. Therefore, I wanted to get help through this 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business'.” ▲ Kang Donghyeok, CEO of Golden Pig Entertainment, talked about his participation motive. “I applied for this business while having difficulties for challenging to play a new genre of games.” In the first stage of 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business', we designed business milestones, consulted on global launching and operation, and the reviews through testing games were provided. It also provided market information and conducted seminars, publishing and investment consultation. In the second stage, provided with guides about global launching and featured for companies who participated in the first stage and could launch within the business period. The localization work including translation was also supported. Finally, in the third stage, the business assisted in establishing and implementing global marketing strategies, and provided support for designing and analyzing indicators, including operation of target countries. Through this step-by-step support, participating companies were able to get help in various ways that were incomparable to their own advancement, and it gave them an opportunity to lay a foundation for self-reliance in the global market. Participants of this support business mentioned ‘'systematic support for practical assistance' and ‘friendly consultation about unknown areas' as the most important advantages. Park Wonbin, CEO of Thunder Games, said, “As well as global marketing support from consulting companies, we also received many consulting services on games, such as gameplay and interface. Through this, we were able to study how our games could become more fun and enjoyable games for a long time, so satisfaction was very high.” Kang Donghyeok, CEO of Golden Pig Entertainment also emphasized, “'The Future Savior، War of Tank' was a burden on the SMEs in terms of amount to translate because of the large amount of texts. Thanks to 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business', I was able to get great help for English translation. It also provided an environment for testing mobile phones around the world, which solved hardware problems such as bugs.” ▲ Park Wonbin, CEO of Thunder Games, said, “We were able to study how our games could become more fun and enjoyable games for a long time.” Likewise, 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business' was recognized for its value in helping game companies achieve their full potential to become self-reliant in the global market. In addition, it became a representative support business that brighter the name, ‘A Friend of the Game, Busan City’. During the interview, the representatives of the support companies also expressed their confidence. "I feel the effect of this support project" Lee Seungchan, CEO of Park ESM said, “Thanks to 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business', we were able to complement our lack of confidence in the new platform and global market. As these opportunities continue to develop, I expect this business to become the most loved support business from local game companies.” As such, Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Global Game Center are making various efforts to promote local game contents to the global market, along with the revitalization of various game industries. The results are gradually emerging from all over the global market in this steady activity. Therefore, if the business such as 'Game Contents Global Launching Project Support Business' is continued, Busan Metropolitan City is expected to help strengthen its position as 'A Friend of the Game'. ▲ Lee SeungChan, CEO of Park ESM, said, “We were able to complement our lack of confidence in the new platform and global market.”

TOKYO GAME SHOW 2018 Exhibition Outline Released

In cooperation with Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP, President: Suguru Niinomi), the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA, Chairman: Hideki Okamura) has announced that it will be holding TOKYO GAME SHOW 2018 (TGS2018) at Makuhari Messe (Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture) for four days from Thursday, September 20 to Sunday, September 23. Applications for exhibition are now being accepted. The theme for TGS2018 is “Welcome to the Next Stage.” Games continue to surprise and inspire people with new play and new technologies. Discover games which make you feel like you’re there, share emotion and excitement with people worldwide over the Internet as you compete and cheer e-Sports as with other sporting events. One of Asia’s largest fairs where everyone can experience such new ways to enjoy games is happening again this year. In the game industry, the Japan esports Union (JeSU) was announced in February, established with the support of industry associations including CESA and Japan Online Game Association (JOGA). As its activity starts in earnest, e-Sports is expected to flourish from the standpoint of creating a new market and business model. The e-Sports stage was upgraded to become the larger stage “e-Sports X (“cross”)” last year. JeSU will take part in organizing this stage for TGS2018, and venue expansion and a new preliminary tournament area are planned. TOKYO GAME SHOW will present the heated battles as an international event to support e-Sport competitors to go on to perform in Japan and around the world. As the other pillar to transmitting information, we will enhance our Internet video streaming system. In addition to niconico, Twitch, and Douyu, which we have been using, we will have a major expansion of our platform for Japan and elsewhere, centered on e-Sports, and aim for increased viewership on a global scale. The VR/AR Area, receiving attention for its collection of technologies which facilitate revolutionary gaming experiences never available before, now allows exhibition of products and services for amusement only, in addition to game software compatible with VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality).

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