Apple’s mobile game category reopens

Mobile game firms set to engage in fierce battle in local game applications market


Mobile game companies are pumping up to garner a larger share in the local industry as the game category reopened after a 19-month gap for Apple’s App Store for those with Korean accounts on Wednesday.

Apple Inc. added the game category for its App Store designed for Korean users, indicating people who wish to play mobile games on their iPhones and iPads do not have to create a separate account to download them onto their devices.

Many game players have created multiple accounts to gain access to other countries’ App Stores for game downloads.

The announcement also comes together with news that Apple’s latest smartphone iPhone 4S will be hitting the Korean market on Nov. 11.

For the past 19 months, game firms had to register their mobile games in the applications stores of other countries, such as Hong Kong and the U.S., because Apple decided to close it due to strict regulations here.

The local law stated that mobile games needed to be reviewed by authorities and be rated before being posted on the app stores.

Not only Apple, but Google Inc.’s Android market also closed down its game category in March last year.

However, a revision that stated that private businesses could grade their own games through negotiation with the Game Rating Board passed the National Assembly last March.

“This is good news and it will enable smartphone owners to more conveniently play their games. In accordance, it will enhance the competitiveness of the mobile game firms,” said a Nexon official.

Park Ji-young, chief executive of mobile game company Com2uS, also said the move will let the company showcase to local game players their mobile games which have already been acknowledged in other countries.

“It will build the ground for the growth of the local mobile game market and also become the base for targeting the global open market,” she said.

In celebration of the move, Com2uS is selling all of its iPhone games published on the local App Store for $0.99 ― including games that cost up to $4.99 in other App Stores ― until Sunday.

Another mobile game firm Gamevil released about 30 different games ― ranging from baseball, soccer to dynamic action role playing games ― as soon as the game category opened for Korea.

Hangame also listed puzzle games like Sachunsung, Wolf Boy and Every Farm on Wednesday, followed by plans to launch a baseball game called Run and Hit as well as its hit game for feature phones named Master of Sword 5 Reload.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)