Taiwan is a country that is closely connected to gamers. There’s a lot of games that many in their 30s and 40s have enjoyed that was developed in Taiwan. A prime example of this is ‘The Legend of Three Kingdoms’ series, and the side-scroller that you were able to find in arcades, ‘Knights of Valour’. Recently, Taiwanese game developers, ‘RayArk’ made a name for themselves in Korea.

Many Korean games are well known in Taiwan as well. Not only Korean PC and mobile, but also console games have been well received by gamers in Taiwan. It’s pretty common to see game developers in Korea target the Taiwanese market to draw the attention of the Chinese gaming market. 

For 9 years, the Taiwan booth has been a consistent part of G-Star, and have been communicating with developers from both Korea and worldwide. This year, as part of the B2B booth again, took part with 4 game developers from Taiwan.

Winne Chen, Head of Operations at NTCCA, has not only been part of G-Star, but also other game exhibitions held in Korea, stated that she will continue to communicate and interact with the public and other developers, and evaluated G-Star as an event that grows in scale each year.

How does it feel to be participating at G-Star again this year? What’s on your agenda for this year’s agenda?

NTCA has been operating the Taiwan booth for over 9 years at G-Star. As a representative for Taiwan, we believe that G-Star will continue to grow in size each year. Korean games have always been a role model and a stepping stone towards success, and it’s home to one of the three largest gaming markets in Asia. At the Taiwan booth this year, game developers, Yahyel Future Entertainment, Celad Inc., Wegames, and Appier is part of G-Star. For further growth in the Taiwan market, we’re currently creating digital content which promotes Taiwanese enterprises as well.

You’ve been a part of G-Star for 9 years, so how would you define G-Star?

It was interesting to see how G-Star always has a different themes and keynotes. With G-Star’s theme this year, “Experience the New”, I’m really happy for the opportunity to go on a new journey

Are there games, booths, or international trends that caught your attention at this year’s G-Star?

I’m keeping a close eye on the indie games and the Asian booths. I believe that these two are the game industry’s hottest topics. I think that given the immense population in India, the market  there is especially growing fast. It’s a market with a lot of potential. India is pulling in not just game corporations, but other companies in different fields as well for pioneering a new market. In 3 years, I predict that the Indian market will become a rising market.

In Taiwan, esports is also growing and being promoted more and more. What’s the current esports market like in Taiwan?

The Taiwanese government is trying to change games into sports. I think we’re experiencing the same things as the Korean game industry did before.

Since a long time ago, there’s been much negative outlook on games. However, currently, games are genuinely considered to be something much more serious, and it even became an actual category in the Olympics. The Taiwanese government is also pouring their efforts in such forms of change.

Can you introduce some of the actions or programs that the Taiwanese government has set up in aiding the growth of the game industry?

The Taiwanese government is planning to create digital content, which is for aiding the Taiwanese enterprises trying to break into the global market.

As I’ve previously mentioned, in terms of size, the Korean market is one of the top 3 markets in Asia, and G-Star is one of the 3 biggest game exhibitions in Asia. Many foreign game developers and companies participate in G-Star, and G-Star greatly helps in creating a close business relationship with such parties.

There’s a lot of game developers that are highly interested in the Taiwanese market as well. What are some of the things to watch out for, or to be particularly be wary of, when a developer from Korea is trying to break into the Taiwanese market?

First, whenever a developer is trying to break into the global market, localization and its supervision according to the market is very important. Not just localizing, but culturalization needs to take place.