The country's largest game show, G-STAR, is coming back in November on the biggest scale yet. This year, various contents for game enthusiasts will be prepared, including an expanded space to experience subculture games.
The largest scale, 300 booths bigger than last year
The G-STAR Organizing Committee held a briefing session for 'G-STAR 2023' on the 7th at COEX in Seoul and announced that this year's G-STAR will be held with a total of 3,250 booths in the BTC (Business to Consumer) and BTB (Business to Business) halls. This surpasses last year's booth scale (2,947 booths) as well as the record high of 3,208 booths in 2019.
Hosted by the Korea Game Industry Association and co-organized by the G-STAR Organizing Committee and the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, 'G-STAR 2023' will be held for four days from November 16 to 19 at BEXCO in Busan. This year's slogan is 'Expand Your Horizon,' meaning to broaden the 'horizon'?which symbolizes the framework of existing experiences and knowledge, or the limits set by individuals?through G-STAR. Wemade has been selected as the main sponsor of G-STAR for the second consecutive year.
The return of major game companies is also drawing attention. NCSoft will participate in the G-STAR BTC hall for the first time in eight years. NCSoft is also expected to support the Korea Internet Corporations Association and startup exhibition booths (BTB hall). Smilegate has returned to G-STAR after nine years since 2014.
In BTC Exhibition Hall 1, Google Play, NCSoft, Krafton, Netmarble, Smilegate RPG, Inven, and Epic Games will participate, while Webzen, Gravity, AMD, and Big Game Studio will open exhibition spaces in Exhibition Hall 2.
At the press briefing, the G-STAR Organizing Committee stated, "The number of BTB buyer registrations has more than doubled compared to last year," adding, "We have secured major game participants and conference speakers, and will announce more details on-site later."
Content expansion... Subculture games take center stage
For the first time at this year's G-STAR, the 'Subculture Game Festival' will be held. Although subculture refers to the non-mainstream, the growing activities of subculture game fans each year reflect their rise as a mainstream consumer group rather than a niche one.
Special broadcast programs for subculture game fans and talk concerts with popular game voice actors are prepared. Additionally, reflecting the increasing number of participants cosplaying as game characters every year, related facilities are also planned to be expanded.
The core conference of G-STAR, 'G-CON,' will be held in the convention hall during the event, featuring a total of 38 sessions across 3 tracks.
At G-CON, notable international figures such as Shuhei Yoshida, former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), and Kazuhiko Torishima, former editor-in-chief of Jump Comics where the famous Japanese manga 'Dragon Ball' was serialized, will give lectures. Domestic speakers include Jang Hyun-guk, CEO of Wemade, and Ha Jung-woo, head of Naver Cloud Center.
Meanwhile, the organizing committee emphasized strengthened safety management. For G-STAR 2023, general admission tickets will be sold exclusively through 100% advance reservation. This is the second time tickets are sold entirely by advance reservation since 2021, when the COVID-19 situation was severe. Invitation tickets will also require prior online registration instead of on-site registration, and security regulations will be tightened, including banning the carrying of threatening items.
Kang Shin-chul, chairman of the Game Industry Association and the organizing committee, said, "G-STAR has grown every year in cooperation with Busan City," and urged, "We ask for your great interest and participation."
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