[Bu-aeri's Game Dictionary] "Who are you?"... The Giant Doll Guarding NC Headquarters

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] One day, a reporter who frequented the press room located in NCSoft's Pangyo headquarters noticed gigantic character statues. They weren't there the last time they visited, prompting the question, "Who are you?" These statues, popular photo zones for the children attending the daycare center inside the building, are NCSoft's character brand 'Spoons'. They often go on business trips to character fairs or external events. Except for those times, they stand guard firmly in the lobby on the first floor of the headquarters.

Recently, major domestic game companies such as NCSoft, Netmarble, and Pearl Abyss have been actively engaging in character businesses based on game intellectual property (IP).

In NCSoft's case, they utilize the Spoons characters to offer KakaoTalk emoticons, webtoons, merchandise, and more. They also engage in various businesses such as marketing partnerships with Seven Eleven, Lotte Cinema, and Macaron Taxi.

In April last year, NCSoft opened a 'flagship store' on Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, Seoul. Similar to the well-known Kakao Friends Shop or Line Friends Shop, it is a space where visitors can experience Spoons through character products and photo zones. Recently, they have also started targeting overseas customers by selling Spoons-related products on major global online malls. Since April last year, Spoons stationery, toys, and household goods have been sold on the U.S. platform Amazon.

Netmarble operates the 'Netmarble Store' to sell goods utilizing its game IPs. They sell products featuring the 'Netmarble Friends' characters as well as popular Netmarble game IPs like 'Modoo Marble' and 'Seven Knights'. Netmarble also runs an offline store in Sinchon, Seoul.

Pearl Abyss opened its official online mall 'Pearl Abyss Store' on the 14th, where fans can find goods related to its game 'Black Desert'. The Pearl Abyss Store sells figures, clothing, socks, capes, and other merchandise featuring Black Desert game characters.

The reason the gaming industry is enthusiastic about the character business is due to its high growth potential. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, the character industry market size has continuously expanded, with sales increasing by 8.8% from 2015 to 2017. Additionally, as of the first half of 2019, the character sector recorded export earnings of approximately $380 million, a 28% increase compared to the same period the previous year, among the entire content industry.

An industry insider said, "Recently, more companies are entering the goods business," adding, "It helps enhance brand image and is a market with high potential to create diverse revenue structures."