The video games industry is a bustling enterprise featuring game designers, developers, and influencers from all over the world. The Asian influence on the video games industry is pivotal, as evidenced by the huge number of game developers, animators, designers, and technical experts in countries like South Korea, China, and Japan. Video games are popular as a leisure-filled activity in South Korea, with a tremendous degree of competition characterizing gaming sessions. A wide range of games is available in South Korea including MMORPG games, RPG games, and mobile gaming options.
In fact, the popularity of competitive video games in South Korea has skyrocketed in recent years. The country is home to many video game tournaments featured on TV. The video games industry in South Korea is robust, and growing rapidly. Many industry aficionados regard South Korea as the hub of the gaming world. The growth in gaming popularity in South Korea has ensured that the country remains at the forefront of new games development, with scores of engaging titles being released every year from top-tier gaming operators. South Korea is also a prominent producer of video slot machine games.
The Chinese Influence on Video Games
The monetary value of the video games industry in China is immense, comprising over $20 billion per annum. Most revenues are generated by PC games and MMO games, with tablet games and browser games accounting for approximately $2.4 billion and $2.6 billion respectively (2015 figures). Mobile games account for an increasing percentage of overall gaming revenues in the country, with $4.1 billion generated in 2015. Some of the most popular games created in China include Crazy Mouse, Magical Land, the World of Legend etc. The most popular games in China include Warcraft and StarCraft, with games like League of Legends rising through the ranks.
Social gaming is a burgeoning global industry, and it has strong roots in China. This is evident in the worldwide popularity of games like Happy Farm which has spawned a huge number of other social games such as Farmville, Happy Pig Farm, and Barn Buddy. A major development took place in China in 2015 when a ban on video games was removed. This allowed the major game manufacturers like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony to reenter the Chinese market and sell video games to locals. The government of China continues to screen video games for improper content, but the industry is growing at a rate of knots.
The Influence of Japan on the Video Games Industry
Japan is at the forefront of the virtual reality evolution, and it will dominate the global scene when VR goes mainstream. What is surprising is that global audiences relish the Japanese influence in games, despite the relative proclivity of Japanese manufacturers to avoid catering to a global audience. Global gaming revenues for 2018 are expected to rise to $44.2 billion. The biggest growth is going to come from Mobile and PC, while console gaming remains relatively static from year to year. Already, we have seen a massive increase in the number of anime and manga-style video slot games appearing on the scene. These games have loyal followers the world over, and there are calls for more Asian-inspired video slots games. Slot gaming brands already realized that and make sure to include as many options as possible to answer the users desires.
Traditionally, Japanese video game developers cater to local market conditions. However, the rapid rise of the Asian influence in video gaming has jolted local game manufacturers into catering to a global audience. Unbeknownst to many neophytes in gaming, Super Mario Brothers was created in Japan. The games industry is set to be worth $100 billion (2016 figures), and Japan is spearheading the initiative as the world’s foremost developer of video games. Pokémon Go is one such example of Japanese innovation. The meteoric rise of game developers like Nintendo, Sony and PlayStation virtually assures a worldwide audience that the Asian influence in gaming is alive and well.
Photo Credits
Photos courtesy of Jason Milton
Guest Author Bio
Jason Milton
Jason Milton was born in Bakersfield, California. He is 38 years old, and is an accomplished columnist, writer-editor and publisher. His work is mostly web-articles, though you can find his words on many famous printed magazines. Jason has been writing for 15 years now and we’re hoping to continue seeing his work for a long time.
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