NFT Investment and New Game Utilization
Netmarble Integrates into 14 New Growth Areas
Krafton Also Declares Market Entry
Bang Jun-hyuk, Chairman of Netmarble, is announcing new business strategies at the 5th NTP (Netmarble Together with Press), Netmarble Vision and New Game Development Presentation held on the morning of the 27th at G-Tower in Guro-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are emerging as the 'future of gaming,' intensifying the industry's race for dominance. NFT trading itself has rapidly become a source of fun within games, and as the realization of the metaverse (extended virtual world) becomes more tangible, the utilization of NFTs is expected to increase further. The gaming industry has begun to pour out new games leveraging NFTs, alongside investments in NFT-related ventures.
NFTs: The Key to Game Enjoyment and Growth
On the 27th, Netmarble held 'Netmarble NTP,' an event unveiling its future vision and new game lineup, revealing plans to advance blockchain and metaverse businesses linked to gaming. Among the 20 new titles introduced that day, 14, accounting for 70%, are games incorporating blockchain technology, where NFTs are expected to be utilized.
Bang Jun-hyuk, Chairman of Netmarble Coway, stated, "Netmarble plans to proceed with its blockchain business through a two-track strategy. Netmarble will pursue a model that integrates blockchain centered on games, while Netmarble F&C will implement a model that combines games and content centered on blockchain."
Chairman Bang predicted that industries utilizing NFTs will grow into a standalone sector within 2 to 3 years. He emphasized, "Items and other products obtained through various actions in blockchain games connect to virtual assets, which can be converted into real-world tangible assets. This should be seen as a second reality where new honorary and economic activities take place."
On the same day, Krafton also announced its entry into the NFT market. Kim Chang-han, CEO of Krafton, presented 'Krafton's Direction for 2022' through the internal communication program 'Krafton Live Talk.' He particularly emphasized Web 3.0 and NFTs. Web 3.0 refers to a stage providing intelligent web services tailored to individual preferences.
CEO Kim said, "Web 3.0 is an ecosystem where more authority shifts to creators and consumers, accelerating C2E (Create to Earn). Krafton will focus on its core role and strengths as a game company but will empower creators to produce new content and continue challenges with capable partners."
Trading Real Estate NFTs Within Games
As NFTs become a hot topic in the gaming industry, new titles utilizing them are expected to be released within the year. Notably, Netmarble's sequel to 'Modoo Marble,' titled 'Modoo Marble: Meta World,' is set for release this year. This game is an NFT game building a real estate-based metaverse platform, characterized by economic activities using virtual real estate.
Under domestic law, the P2E (Play to Earn) system, which allows earning money through gaming, is not applicable, so it will be released solely as an NFT game. The overseas version will apply both NFT and P2E methods, enabling actual profit generation through coin trading using NFTs.
Wemade Max's blockchain game 'Rise of Stars' is also nearing release. The first batch of pre-sale NFT flagship items sold out immediately after release. This game offers new game tokens called 'Silderium' and flagship items with NFTs applied.
Com2uS Holdings and Com2uS are in the final stages of development and platform construction for issuing their own cryptocurrency (tentatively named C2X). They plan to issue tokens and publish a whitepaper in early February.
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