Japanese mobile social gaming giant DeNA and Korean carrier KT have announced a partnership to share select gaming titles with each other on their respective networks.
Starting next year, KT says it will add some games from DeNA’s Daum Mobage platform, the localized Korean division of its popular gaming network, to its Olleh Market. KT will also allow players to buy Daum Mobage virtual currency via Olleh.
DeNA will reciprocate by distributing games from KT to Mobage in Japan. It will also provide “consultation support” to help KT bring their games over to Mobage.
“KT’s competitive advantage for mobile content overseas will be significantly enhanced through our alliance with social game platform leader DeNA,” said Terry Ahn, executive vice president, Smart Eco Business Unit of KT, adding that the company is developing “long-term marketing strategies” to take Korean-developed mobile apps abroad.
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Steven Yang, the head of DeNA’s South Korean subsidiary, said, “We hope this will be a new opportunity for both KT and DeNA to succeed internationally.”
Korea is a natural fit for Japanese Internet firms to jump to, as both markets share similarities with respect to the maturity of mobile apps and monetization. Smartphone penetration hit 50 percent among the three top carriers earlier this year.
DeNA has also seen some success in the US with several games reaching the top grossing chart on Google Play. Of course, it hasn’t been neglecting its home country either. DeNA recently inked a new partnership with Yahoo Japan, shortly after rival GREE announced its own, and it is joining forces with Mixi, a hit Japanese social network, on a game development platform.
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