ⓒ VOLER CREATIVE

Now it’s time to introduce Korean companies that contribute to bringing about changes in the global economy with some groundbreaking ideas. 

Like last week, we’ll introduce one of Korean speakers who gave a lecture at the exhibition, “RoboUniverse & K Drone, Conference & Expo/VR Summit.” The speaker we’ll meet today is Seo Dong-il, CEO of VoleR Creative, which is a leader in the Korean virtual reality or VR industry. 

I spoke about the background for the creation of the VR market, its future prospects and the changes in the previous content market. High-priced VR equipment is a problem, but the biggest stumbling block standing in the way of making VR equipment popular is insufficient space. It is ideal to experience VR content in a wide area. Many people are reluctant to enjoy VR games at home because they find it difficult to secure enough space for a VR experience. For that reason, the VR market is now developing mostly in theme parks and VR cafés. 

At the exhibition, Mr. Seo lectured on how the VR content industry will develop. He entered the local gaming industry by working at Ndoors, a Korean online game developer that left a significant mark on the history of Korea’s gaming industry with its signature games such as “Goonzu Online” and “Atlantica.” He also worked at the Korea Game Industry Agency to accumulate knowledge about the gaming business. He is a co-founder of “Oculus,” which manufactured a VR headset called “Oculus Rift.” He was the only Korean among the eight co-founders. Popular social media service Facebook acquired Oculus for 2 billion dollars in 2014. Seo was offered 7 billion won to assume the post of manager of the Korean branch of Facebook’s subsidiary for five years. He took the job, but then quit to set up his own company. 

I decided to start my own business for various reasons. I believed that the Oculus equipment would become popular and I expected that many other manufacturers would produce VR equipment. I imagined that demand for content would rise because consumers, in general, were not interested in the equipment itself but focused more on what they could do with it. If equipment was made by many manufacturers, content would be more important. I thought the key value of this industry would shift into content. To lead the market, I wanted to create a company that provides content. 

Seo founded VoleR Creative in September 2015, in the belief that he could find a greater opportunity by creating something new rather than simply walking on the road that had already been cleared by someone else. When this VR specialist took up a new challenge, a number of game developers from famous Korean game companies like NHN, Netmarble and Neople, joined him. The VR and gaming industries paid keen attention to what kind of content would be created by those who were willing to choose an unexplored path. 

ⓒ VOLER CREATIVE

VoleR Creative is a VR game content provider. A VR game called “Battle Summoners” is currently available on Steam, which is the world’s largest PC gaming platform. This year, we formed a partnership with KBS so we can adapt the broadcasters’ intellectual property to our VR game. For example, we’re developing an escape room game inspired by KBS’ drama “Korean Ghost Stories.” Two installments of the VR game have already been completed, and they are available in busy districts crowded with young people, like Hongik University and Kunkuk University areas. 

The two games, “Battle Summoners” and “Korean Ghost Stories VR,” show the company’s spirit. Unlike most virtual reality games involving a first-person shooter, “Battle Summoners” is a trading card game, where users summon monsters from the cards and wage battle. Each card is tradable, as it has its own value. Users can choose a particular character that has its unique skills, and the users’ strategies and a card formation can decide the outcome of the game. The company experimented with this unconventional game to provide a more immersive experience to users. “Korean Ghost Stories VR” based on KBS’s horror series with the same title also shows the company’s experimental spirit. Advanced VR technology was incorporated into the old TV drama from the 1970s and the ‘80s to recreate it as an escape room game. In short, the company knows exactly what users want from VR games. 

“Battle Summoners” have received many positive reviews from its global users on Steam VR platform. Some say, “A particular game genre was well blended with VR.” Others say, “The game set a new standard that a trading card game genre could be played in VR.” The game is enjoyed by users all over the world, but the U.S. is the largest market in terms of sales figures. “Korean Ghost Stories VR,” featuring Korean-style horror and fantasy, is entertaining many users, particularly in this hot season. As expected, it is far more popular in Korea than in other countries. This game has been included in the top-five list at various VR theme parks and VR cafés in Korea. This is a very impressive result. 

The company’s great performance in the offline VR market is very encouraging. The offline stores come in various forms, including booths, where three to four people can enjoy VR experiences, as well as theme parks that combine VR content with rides. These offline stores are expected to make VR content popular among the public, just like PC rooms, karaoke rooms and bowling alleys. Confident about VR’s bright future, the company plans to concentrate more on content development. 

ⓒ VOLER CREATIVE

When I set up the company, what I wanted to do the most was create fun and interesting content. Of course, it is difficult to define exactly which content is fun, since there are so many. But VoleR Creative will make constant efforts to give pleasure to people and become an industry leader like Disney in the VR content field. 

VR provides a new user experience, reducing time and costs significantly. The VR market is expected to reach 150 billion US dollars in 2020. The problem is the lack of content to lead the market. To solve this problem, VeleR Creative continues to mount new challenges, never being afraid of failure. Without a doubt, the company is at the center of VR content development.