For some time, analysts of South Korea's dynamic ICT sector have noted that its success was largely based on the manufacture and export of hardware, prominently including semiconductors, screens, television sets, and mobile handsets. Korea has been viewed as relatively weak in the production and export of software, content and services. That situation may be changing, and one reason is the potential of Korea's online games in the global market.
A recent article in TechCrunch uses the Korean company Nexon as an example of Asian innovation in the world of free-to-play games and virtual goods. The article is well worth reading. I would only add, as noted in earlier posts, that the world of online games has business implications and future applications that extend far beyond the game industry itself. These include education and the process of admission to colleges and universities, both areas of interest to our new Asia Center to Advance Educational Exchange (ACAEE).