South Korea’s largest mobile game developer, Netmarble, has announced that it will be diverting the focus of its game development towards metaverse projects and NFT/blockchain technology.
Netmarble is responsible for hit mobile games including Marvel Future Fight and King of Fighters Allstars.
In a press conference late last month Netmarble’s CEO Bang Jun-Hyuk stated that 70% of the 20 games that they will release this year will use blockchain technology.
Bang also added that the company is looking to target most of these blockchain-based games towards the overseas market, given that the Play-To-Earn model is effectively banned in Korea — at least for now.
One of the games announced during the press conference that is set to be released in March was A3: Still Alive, a play-to-earn MMORPG where players can monetize in-game assets such as weapons with cryptocurrency. Even though it is set to be released in March, the Beta version of the game is already available on their website for the PC version.
Bang commented that “The metaverse will not only transplant various elements from the game but also converge with the blockchain technology to create a second real world beyond the virtual.”
Netmarble has also announced an NFT land ownership game called Everybody’s Marble: Metaworld, where players will be allowed to build, trade “NFTized” real estate.
United Gamers Analysis and Perspective
Netmarble has a great portfolio and a demonstrable track record of success, so it’s exciting to see that even within countries with a strict regulatory environment, there’s still progress on the NFT play-to-earn scene.
As of 2021 Netmarble is also the second-biggest shareholder of Big Hit Entertainment, now known as HYBE Corporation, which is the record label of Korean boy band sensation BTS — so eager K-POP stans might have something to look forward to with the upcoming partnership
Netmarble’s stance on the metaverse may be a sign of great things to come in 2022 for the play-to-earn gaming scene and may represent imminent change for the gaming landscape in South Korea.
United Gamers writers offer their unique Analysis and Perspective as expert opinions to help readers understand the context of the facts. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publication or its principals.