HYBE Company Chairman Bang Si-hyuk made the announcement at a press conference held during South Korea’s largest annual gaming exhibition G-Star: Its game-to-metaverse subsidiary called HYBE IM will be providing service for Flint’s newly launched mobile game Dragon Blaze 2: Knights of Veda. HYBE had signed an investment agreement earlier with Flint in which it acquired a majority of the game developer’s shares.
“Gaming is a very attractive form of content which compactly holds all of the factors of entertainment,” said Bang. “Through the game business, HYBE will be able to provide its customers with a newer, more fun and diverse pass-time. HYBE’s game business will evolve in HYBE’s own unique way, fusing with its other projects, and strengthening the value of the entertainment business,” he added. “We will achieve innovation in the game business, just as we have in the music biz.”
Bang said he saw great potential in South Korea’s game market but was aware of the challenges the company would face in tackling a global audience.
HYBE CEO Park Ji-won stated that HYBE’s gaming unit would cooperate with the company’s other projects, saying they are presently developing a new game based on artists and music. He also restated the company’s plan to release two new games with local game developer Macovill in 2023.
Park also expressed his optimism about the company’s new venture, saying: “The successful servicing of a self-developed game, and the fact that HYBE has forayed into the publishing business, shows that HYBE, as a comprehensive entertainment corporation, is kicking off its gaming business.”
“Although HYBE’s artist IPs are important properties of the company, we will try to showcase games that do not use them,” said HYBE IM CEO Jeong Woo-yong. “We are currently developing one new game that is based on artists and music, and we are planning to launch two new Macovill games next year.” HYBE IM had signed in September to publish local game developer Macovill’s games.
