G-Star 2025 Draws keen Crowds Despite Reduced Scale
Busan, south Korea - G-Star 2025 is currently underway, attracting a important number of gamers and industry professionals despite a slight decrease in overall scale compared to the previous year. The event, running until november 16th, features 1,273 game companies from 44 countries across 3,269 booths. While notable companies like Nexon and Pearl Abyss are absent, attendee enthusiasm remains high, with a noticeable shift towards game demonstrations over large-scale events.
A popular attraction at this year’s show is the booth for Japanese game developer Pocket Fair, showcasing their new IP with a display of charming monsters (“pals”). Visitors engaged in “pal hunting” and “pal capturing” events for a chance to win merchandise. Nearby, the ’Cafe PUBG’ – a rest area themed around Krafton’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds - proved incredibly popular, with wait times exceeding an hour for those hoping to take photos with the game-inspired sculpture.
the event is also showcasing a vibrant cosplay scene, both within and outside the G-Star venue. Professional cosplayers portraying characters from new releases and established IPs are featured at major company booths, alongside a diverse range of characters from popular games and Japanese animation. Choi, a 26-year-old attendee cosplaying as ‘Brigadier General Geum’ from the indie game Sannabi published by Neowiz, expressed his enjoyment, noting positive feedback on the quality of his costume and his scheduled participation in the ‘Cosplay Awards’ on the final day of the event.
The second exhibition hall, primarily dedicated to overseas and indie game developers, is also drawing considerable traffic. While foreign developers didn’t unveil major new titles, the area attracted dedicated fans and gamers seeking alternatives to the longer lines at larger company demonstrations. Lim, a 19-year-old student, shared his excitement about discovering high-quality indie games, stating his hope to become a game developer himself and valuing the possibility to experience a variety of titles, specifically mentioning the third-person story adventure game Interscape by Lumton.
Business networking is also a key component of G-Star, with the Business Building (BTB) networking lounge bustling with officials from companies like Smilegate, Nexon Games, samsung Electronics, and Nexus, alongside organizations such as the Busan Information Industry Promotion Agency.
An industry official at the event commented on the increased focus on demonstrations and the sustained enthusiasm despite the reduced scale, stating, “I heard that the scale has decreased compared to last year, but the enthusiasm seems to have gotten hotter.”
[조인준 기자, NEWSTREE]
