Kakao Games Corp., the gaming division of South Korean platform giant Kakao Corp., revealed on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with SM Entertainment Co. to secure intellectual property (IP) rights for developing mobile games featuring the entertainment agency’s idol groups. With the collaboration, SM Entertainment has entered the gaming industry, leveraging Kakao Games’ expertise in mobile game development to create captivating experiences centered around its iconic K-pop idol groups.
The partnership was formalized at SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday, following Kakao Corp.’s acquisition of SM Entertainment in March last year.Â
Under the partnership, Kakao Games unveiled “SM Game Station” (tentative name), a digital collection mobile game featuring SM Entertainment’s idol artists, on the same day. This game allows users to step into the role of managers of K-pop groups, engaging in scheduled activities reimagined as mini-games while collecting digital photo cards.Â
The cards feature the artists’ actual appearances and activities, and users can customize them with various “parts” that reflect each member’s personality.
Kakao Games Corp., known for popular mobile titles like “Odin: Valhalla Rising” and “Uma Musume Pretty Derby,” will oversee the global publishing and service of the game, while Metabora, a Web3 gaming initiative affiliate of Kakao Games, will lead the game’s development.Â
With features allowing players to manage schedules, promote albums, collect photo cards, and nurture new artists, the game aims to provide fans with an engaging virtual experience centered around their favorite K-pop idols.
The game, set to launch globally in the second half of 2024, will offer various events commemorating artists’ birthdays, debut anniversaries, and other milestones, along with content linked to their real-world activities.
“We aim to provide new entertainment experiences in the global digital content market by merging our service and development capabilities with SM Entertainment’s strong content power,” remarked Kakao Games CEO Han Sang-woo. SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk expressed satisfaction in offering fans diverse content consumption opportunities and hinted at exploring further content collaborations within the Kakao Group.
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