From Webtoons to Games... Naver Webtoon, Google Play, and KOCCA Join Forces

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Naver Webtoon, Google Play, and the Korea Creative Content Agency have joined forces to support gamification and global expansion based on webtoon intellectual property (IP).

On the 23rd, these companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the ‘GLOBAL WEBTOON GAMES’ project at the Naver Webtoon headquarters in Pangyo.

Through this agreement, the three companies plan to discover promising Korean small and medium-sized game developers to foster and develop the content industry in South Korea. They will also actively support game development using Naver Webtoon IP and successful entry into the global market.

Participating developers will be recruited starting in March, and five developers will be selected to create games based on Naver Webtoon IP. Naver Webtoon will provide benefits such as waiving contract fees for 8 webtoon IPs and domestic marketing support. Google Play will support global marketing for the developers, and the Korea Creative Content Agency will provide game development grants, management, and post-promotion support. The official game launch is targeted for the end of 2023.

The Naver Webtoon IPs used in the project include a total of 8 works: Noblesse (Son Jeho & Lee Kwangsu), Pigpen (Kim Kanbi & Cheon Beomsik), Resa (POGO), The Sound of Your Heart (Jo Seok), Death God Boy (Ryu), Spirit Fingers (Han Gyeongchal), Lovable Today as Well (Lee Hye), and Lookism (Park Taejun).

Previously, Naver Webtoon received positive reviews for publishing the webtoon IP-based game 'Yumi’s Cells The Puzzle' in August last year, and as game production based on webtoon IPs becomes more active, greater expectations are rising for the ‘GLOBAL WEBTOON GAMES’ project.

In particular, Naver Webtoon has animated popular IPs such as ‘Tower of God’, ‘God of High School’, and ‘Noblesse’, showcasing them in the U.S., South America, and Europe. Recently, ‘Hellbound’ and ‘All of Us Are Dead’ were adapted into dramas, achieving great success. Through this project, it is expected that IP expansion based on webtoon content will increase not only in animation and drama but also in games.

Kim Jun-gu, CEO of Naver Webtoon, said, "I hope this project becomes a new opportunity for Korean small and medium-sized game developers and further strengthens the global competitiveness of Korea’s representative content industry by fostering mutual growth between the webtoon and game industries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.