The economy of fun never slows down.

Posted Mon, 2009-05-04 11:33 by Aion Source
I love the Korea Times for posting up-to-date news from South Korea while simultaneously translating it into English. There's a site like this for China, too, but I've forgotten the name. Anyhow, I know a large part of AionSource.com's membership is probably feeling their pocketbook get lighter and lighter by the day, hurt by the current worldwide fiscal situation. Regardless of your personal situation, fear not for your precious videogames! They're doing just fine and will probably continue to do so as long as you don't go out and buy overpriced movie tickets. Save your money for better stuff, like Aion. ;)

Online Game Publishers Rolling in Tough Times
By Kim Tong-hyung

Quote:
For South Korea's computer game companies, life seems easy ― as if operated by a joystick.

At a time when companies across the business sector are talking about shaving operations and shedding payroll, the country's online game publishers are finding it hard trying to keep a straight face as they swim in a record flow of profit.

It seems obvious that the economic downturn isn't hurting games, proving that when bad news hits, people seek escapist entertainment. And what better way is there to kill an hour or two mowing down terrorists and slaying aliens while spending just a little more than your pocket money?

Perhaps, its no coincidence that the Korean online game industry took off about a decade ago during the Asian financial crisis, the last time the country's economy was rattled to the bone.

"When money is tight, people look for cheaper sources of entertainment, and online games fit the bill perfectly,'' said Sung Hyun-sook, a researcher with the Korea Game Industry Agency (KOGIA), who says that the sector is now officially out of its mini two-year slump.

"The game industry has been maintaining growth since the later part of last year, and we expect the momentum to continue, as recent products have been setting a new bar in quality. The massive buzz generated by NCsoft's Aion certainly made a difference.''
Follow the link below to read more of this insightful article! There's plenty to peruse; an entire section is dedicated to NCsoft and it's creation, Aion, currently the most popular MMORPG in Korea and China.

Source: Online Game Publishers Rolling in Tough Times

EDIT: Here's some more highlights from the article...

Quote:
Since launching its open beta service in China, through local publisher, Shanda, Aion has recorded more than 500,000 in concurrent users, sending operators scrambling to add servers.

...

Aion is also gathering hype in other major game markets such as North America and Europe. Gamespot (www.gamespot.com), an influential U.S. Web site for video and computer games, has Aion ranked second behind Blizzard Entertainment's "Star Craft 2'' as the most anticipated game title of the year.