by The popularity of K-pop artists also worked through games.
Recently, the new mobile game ‘In the Island with BTS,’ in which the group BTS participated, has surpassed 5 million cumulative global subscribers. This is a record 12 days after release. After being officially released on the 28th of last month, it took first place in the free game rankings in the Apple App Store in Korea, the United States, and Japan and surpassed 2 million daily users (DAU) within three days of release. In addition, it scored 4, 8, and 4.7 points out of 5 in the Google Store and Apple App Store, respectively.
‘In the Island with BTS’ is a healing puzzle game featuring interactions between cute BTS characters on the island. In addition, member Suga personally produced ‘Our Island,’ which is played in the game, raising the interest and participation of fans.
It does not stop with a challenge in the idol market. Trot singer and vocalist Kim Ho-Jung has recently started accepting pre-order applications for the mobile game ‘Starway Kim Ho-Jung. This is a match 3 puzzle game featuring Ho-Jung Kim. We aim for a game that anyone can enjoy easily by collecting three or more identical blocks and solving puzzles.
It is also fun to collect cards with the portrait of Ho-Jung Kim and complete the illustrated book. It is also possible to enjoy various pictorials by completing the stage. Snowballs are raising expectations by opening a dedicated page before the release of the work.
Of course, many games have featured famous artists in the past. However, in the past, rhythm games that actively utilize the artist’s sound source were predominant, but recently, attempts are being made to expand the game to a game using the artist’s worldview.
K-pop and the game industry have joined hands because it is a ‘business that makes money, as games using Hollywood star IPs such as Kim Kardashian achieved annual sales of over 200 billion in the past. This means that the singer’s fandom can be absorbed as users. In the case of ‘In the Island with BTS,’ the popular factor is that BTS participation elements reflected throughout the game, such as the game title, logo, and puzzle level, formed a consensus with fans.
As a result, some game companies are investing in K-pop. In March, Com2uS acquired a 58.47% stake and secured management rights through a strategic investment in My Music Taste, the world’s largest K-pop performance platform company. In addition, to strengthen the K-pop-centered media content-metaverse business in June, it invested strategically in RBI W, an entertainment and content IP company, and its subsidiary WYSIWYG Studio.
This move makes it possible to observe that collaboration between K-pop and games will be more active in the future. However, in the case of K-pop IP-based games right now, there are no successful cases enough to shake the market, so there are some views that we need to watch the future trend.
An idol agency official said, “As the influence of K-pop artists in the global market increases, their IP values are also rising rapidly. Games are one of the ways to generate revenue in various ways without being constrained by an artist’s physical schedule. He said, “Attracting fans as users is a positive part of using artists, but it is necessary to absorb not only the fandom but also general users. The IP business will not be just ‘fan service,” he said.
