Developers from Korean game studios demonstrate their titles during Apple’s first game showcase in Korea, held on Dec. 2 at Stage X Seongsu in Seoul’s Seongdong District. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Apple held its first “Apple Game Showcase” in South Korea on Tuesday, signaling a stronger bid to position the iPhone, iPad and Mac as serious gaming devices in a market long dominated by Android phones.
The event, staged at Stage X Seongsu in eastern Seoul, featured five major Korean developers — Netmarble, Devsisters, Com2uS, Krafton and NCSoft — all demonstrating titles either recently launched or still in development on Apple hardware, including the iPhone 17 Pro, iPad Pro and Apple Silicon–powered Macs.
NCSoft showcased Aion 2 on the iPhone, noting that roughly 20 percent of the game’s users already play on mobile rather than PC, and that about half of those mobile players use Apple devices — a striking figure in a country where Android phones overwhelmingly dominate. The company said the hardware demands of Aion 2 make Apple devices especially attractive for players seeking high performance.
Baek Seung-wook, NCSoft’s chief business officer, called the iPhone 17 Pro “the most suitable device for running Aion 2 at full performance” and said the company plans to expand support across Apple platforms, including improved controller compatibility and full playability on Apple’s M1-powered MacBooks.
An attendee tries out a game at Apple’s first game showcase in Korea, held on Dec. 2 at Stage X Seongsu in Seoul’s Seongdong District. (Yonhap)
Netmarble promoted new features for Seven Knights Rebirth through Apple’s “Apple Games” app, which allows players to take on developer-created challenges and compete with friends. Com2uS presented Tougen Anki: Crimson Inferno, a turn-based RPG based on a hit Japanese manga and anime series, optimized from the outset with iPhone users in mind.
Devsisters demonstrated Cookie Run: OvenSmash, set for global release in March, running three-on-three battles on iPhones and iPads. Krafton showed progress on its life-simulation title inZOI, played on a Mac.
Apple said the showcase allowed Korean users to see “the depth of gaming experiences achievable across Apple devices,” adding that it intends to strengthen collaborations with developers and expand its gaming ecosystem.
The event underscores Apple’s broader push to court Korean developers and gamers as high-performance mobile titles proliferate and cross-platform play becomes increasingly central to global gaming strategy.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
