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| A poster for the Game in Life contest hosted by the Netmarble Cultural Foundation. / Courtesy of Netmarble |
By Kim Jae-heun
Local mobile game developer and publisher Netmarble is undertaking a series of social contribution projects focusing on spreading a healthy game culture and seeking mutual growth with the community.
One event was organized by the Netmarble Cultural Foundation with the aim of celebrating the company's 20th anniversary. The "Game in Life" contest, which was held for the first time this year, gave people an opportunity to share their positive experiences with games.
The contest collects people's personal stories in various forms such as in writing, on video or through photography, and aims to show society the many positive values a game can have on a person in their life.
Three hundred entries were submitted and 37 won awards. The grand prize went to Kim Jung-bum, who created "BGM of My Life."
The Netmarble Cultural Foundation also holds an open forum called "Game Concert" with a different theme every year. Experts and industry people from various age groups gather to participate in discussions and debate current game trends and visions for the future. This year, the event was held online in August and October under the topic "Game and Science Technology."
At the October event, Prof. Lee Kyung-min, from the College of Medicine at Seoul National University, spoke about the brain's cognitive functions while Lee Du-hee, a representative of Like Lion, spoke on the cloud system and games.
Since 2008, Netmarble has been building facilities for people to experience gaming culture. Its 34th center was built in Guro, Seoul, in August, the location of the company's headquarters. Each facility has game equipment such as virtual reality devices and racing car machines.
The centers were originally designed for disabled students but the latest game facility in Guro is open to everybody.
