[THE INVESTOR] South Korean online game firm Nexon’s global version of mobile role-playing game “HIT” is garnering popularity worldwide with the number of downloads exceeding 1 million, the company said on July 12.The game, released in 140 countries on July 7, supports 10 languages, including Thai and Cantonese, and it has made the top 10 list for paid mobile apps on Apple’s App Store in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan -- fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.“Utilizing game designing tool Unre

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s market for Internet of Things services is expected to surge from the current 3.3 trillion won (US$ 3 billion) to 17.1 trillion won by 2020, a think tank predicted on July 12. The forecast means the nation’s IoT market will grow at an annual average of 38.5 percent in the next five years, outpacing 28.8 percent of the global market. Samsung ElectronicsHyundai Research Institute pinpointed smart home, smart city and smart car as top three promising industries in an era of th

[THE INVESTOR] US tech firm Oculus has filed an application to receive a mandatory radio wave certification for its virtual reality headset in South Korea, an apparent move to release the VR device here soon. Oculus, owned by Facebook, excluded South Korea from the list of the global markets where its VR device went on sale in January. Oculus’ virtual reality headsetThe Gear VR, developed together by Samsung Electronics and Oculus, has been ruling the domestic market so far.The US VR firm has al

[THE INVESTOR] Korean mobile game publisher Gamevil announced on July 12 that its popular role-playing game “Kingdom of War” has made its global debut on the day. It is a strategy game based on a medieval fantasy world in which the mercenary characters of 52 species appear.Gamevil expects a positive market response as it has gained recognition after releasing a teaser trailer and pre-booking events. It said it has heavily invested on a robust development and global live service. By Yun Jeong-hye

[THE INVESTOR] Cable TV network operator CJ HelloVision and IPTV firm SK Broadband submitted follow-up reports to the antitrust watchdog after its recent rejection of their merger and acquisition deal.The two companies refused to provide any details of the report, but they are said to have claimed the feasibility of the planned M&A deal.The Fair Trade Commission had opposed the proposed M&A plan on the grounds that the combined business entity will become a dominant player in the pay TV market a

[THE INVESTOR] LINE Corp. has set the price for its initial public offering at the top of its marketing range to raise up to 132.8 billion yen (US$1.3 billion), the company said in a regulatory filing on July 11 in Tokyo. The immensely popular mobile messaging service, owned by Korean Internet giant Naver, will sell 35 million shares at 3,300 yen per share. Another 5.25 million shares also will be sold through a so-called greenshoe option allowing it to increase the amount of stock sold. The com