Hello. This is Oing.
Let me ask my friends all over the world one question. Does the name G-STAR 2025 sound familiar?
It’s an event happening right now in Busan, South Korea. According to the news, 1,200 companies from 44 countries are participating, making it the largest in history. Most people will see this event as just a ‘new game show’ or a fun festival for gamers.
Of course, that’s true. But you, reading this, must be different.
We are not simple consumers. We must smell where the massive capital is flowing in this huge showcase—the scent of money. G-STAR isn’t just a party. It’s a fierce battlefield of capitalism where billions and billions of dollars are at stake.
Today, I’m going to talk about the real reason why this massive Korean event is important, no matter where you live, by looking at its key lineup.
The proof that G-STAR isn’t just a festival is clear. The event is strictly separated into BTB (Business to Business), a space for corporate deals, and BTC (Business to Consumer), a space for general attendees like us to enjoy.
Companies watch the fervor of the crowd exploding in the BTC hall, and based on that, they make huge investment decisions and sign global contracts in the BTB hall.
How intense is that fervor? The first-round tickets for Saturday, the most popular day, are already sold out. This alone shows how much attention and capital are flooding into this show. Of course, the venue is full of various events. But amid that fun, we must read the current.
NCsoft: A Giant’s Strategy – Defend the Throne, Invade New Territory
As one of G-STAR’s main sponsors, NCsoft is, as expected, showcasing an overwhelming lineup.
The most anticipated title is Aion 2. It’s a sequel coming a full 17 years after the first game. The fact that NC is bringing back its most powerful IP (Intellectual Property) means they are aiming for a certain victory.
But at the same time, they are unveiling a host of new titles in completely new genres, like Cinder City (open-world shooter) and Lomit-zero Breakers (animation RPG).
What does this mean?
This is a classic risk diversification and market expansion strategy of massive capital. They are securing their existing, powerful fanbase (Aion) while simultaneously expanding their territory into new markets (shooters, subculture). They never stay in one place.
Those mousepads or power banks they’re handing out? They aren’t ‘gifts.’ They are all precisely calculated marketing costs to secure future customers.
Netmarble: A Masterclass in IP – If Creation is Hard, Conquer
Netmarble is presenting four new titles. What’s especially noteworthy are <The Seven Deadly Sins Origin> and <Solo Leveling: Karma>.
Don’t the names sound familiar? Both are globally successful manga and webtoon IPs. <Solo Leveling> in particular is already a global mega-hit.
Netmarble’s strategy is clear: Reduce the probability of failure by using already proven successes. This is the core of the IP business. While creating something new from scratch is incredible, taking a story that people are already crazy about and turning it into a new product (a game) is a ruthlessly smart method.
It perfectly shows how to survive in a capitalist market. Actively use successful formulas, but never stop trying new technologies and endeavors.
Krafton: The King of Execution – One Success is Never Enough
Krafton is the company that became a global corporation with one single hit: Battlegrounds (PUBG). Usually, when something explodes this big, it’s easy to become complacent.
But at this G-STAR, they are premiering <Palworld Mobile>. Look at the speed and execution of bringing the ‘Palworld’ IP, which took the world by storm early this year, to mobile.
They aren’t satisfied with their cash cow (PUBG); they are using that money to bet boldly on the next potential success. Krafton is proving that the only way to maintain success is to continuously prepare for the next success.
Running a ‘Battlegrounds Cafe’ at the event isn’t just fan service either. It’s a sophisticated strategy to expand their brand into a ‘lifestyle’ and keep their community locked in.
Are You a Consumer, or a Producer?
G-STAR 2025 is not just a game exhibition.
It’s the most realistic economic indicator, showing where the money of the future lies, as giant corporations like NC, Netmarble, and Krafton pour billions of dollars into it. They are all talking about the ‘expansion of stories and narratives.’ Ultimately, it means that the one who has a powerful story that captures people’s hearts is the one who makes the money.
So, what should we do?
Will you remain just a consumer who claps and says, ‘Wow, that looks fun’?
Or will you become a producer who finds opportunities in this massive current? We may not be able to build giant corporations like them, but we can learn their attitude.
An attitude of reading the flow of capital, not fearing failure, constantly preparing for the next step, and executing boldly.
That is the survival strategy in capitalism that Oing wants to contemplate with you, our readers. Think about what you can execute in your own field, right now.
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