Microsoft games contest aims to draw local talent

U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. said yesterday that it would hold a game-developing contest in Korea this year in a bid to consolidate its partnership with local game developers and provide more localized contents to customers. “We will be launching a nationwide effort this year to invite Korean game developers to create XBox Live arcade titles and we will select up to five companies that Microsoft will then supply [with] development kits,” Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studio, told reporters in a press conference on the sidelines of the Seoul Digital Forum. “They will have an opportunity to create titles that we eventually will publish on XBox Live. It is a great way for us to reach out directly to the Korean game development community,” Mr. Kim said. Arcade refers to “light” games that players can enjoy easily without relying on manuals. Mr. Kim did not elaborate on the plan, adding that details will be announced soon through its local agency. The event is the first of its kind offered by Microsoft. Experts believe that it is intended to provide more localized game content to Korean customers, thereby boosting the fortunes of the XBox Live service. Microsoft launched its Xbox Live online gaming service in Korea in 2003. It has struggled since then, however, largely because many Korean customers prefer PC-based games rather than console-based ones. The software giant said that the selected games would be published through its online gaming service, predicting that subscribers to Xbox Live would double to 6 million next year. “Microsoft is very committed to developing the game market here and working with Korean game developers,” Mr. Kim said.