Korean IT majors are eager in grooming their metaverse venues as open-source platforms for growth and diversity to gain global competitiveness.

Zepeto, metaverse platform operator under Korean internet giant Naver, is providing more virtual spaces where players can play game within its Zepeto metaverse this year, according to industry sources. Naver Z has added a feature that allows Zepeto users to create games using cross-platform game engine developed by Unity.

Nexon, major video game publisher, is working on metaverse project dubbed MOD based on its blockbuster title MapleStory. In MOD, players will be given access to MapleStory characters, background images and other various items used in the role-playing game to create their own video game.

Nexon ran a game developing contest for MOD last year, where 180 out of 297 contestants contributing in adding game options.

The company plans to open full-fledged platform at home and abroad with features enabling metaverse users to collaborate on game development for profit. It is confident the new project would be a success since MapleStory is played by more than 200 million in 130 countries across the world.

SK Telecom, a major wireless carrier, has been upgrading its metaverse platform Ifland to offer more game items for digital avatars to enjoy in the virtual world.

Korean IT names are hoping for a metaverse jackpot like Roblox, an online game platform that has thousands of games created by users themselves with those played by other users. Its ecosystem is expanding rapidly with daily active user count jumping 28 percent in a year to 5.4 million and trade made with Robux, Roblox’s in-game currency, amounting to $224 million in the first quarter 2022.

Traditional video contents creators are joining the bandwagon.

Redwoods, a local TV show production house, has teamed up with Kakao Enterprise to open a contents creation studio for metaverse platforms. The two signed an agreement last Friday to open a metaverse contents studio within Redwoods Park to be built in Wonju city in Gangwon Province.

By Lim Young-shin, Lee Jae-cheol and Cho Jeehyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]