Mobile Game Aims for Synergy by Utilizing Webtoon Originals

Nexon’s 'CounterSide' Webtoon Sequel Production Inquiries Continue

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-gyu Lee] Cases of leveraging webtoons for synergy in new mobile games are increasing in the gaming industry.

According to the industry on the 13th, Nexon is receiving inquiries about the production of a sequel to the webtoon "CounterSide: Orientation Day," which was released ahead of the launch of its first mobile new game of the year, "CounterSide."

In January, Nexon unveiled "CounterSide: Orientation Day," created in collaboration with the Naver Webtoon artist Terror Man, ahead of the CounterSide launch.

CounterSide, developed based on Nexon's new game intellectual property (IP), offers users the fun of nurturing and collecting characters by featuring over 100 different characters with varying appearances and costumes according to their concepts. Through the Valentine's Day update last month, it ranked 9th in revenue on Google Play. Although the current ranking has slightly dropped due to the rise of new Chinese mobile games, Nexon plans to pursue the new game effect again through additional updates. A Nexon official stated, "The webtoon played a significant role in raising expectations for CounterSide."

The mobile blockbuster "V4," which was released last November and achieved commercial success, also utilized webtoons to easily and entertainingly promote core content such as the "Inter-server," which allows game users to freely move between servers. This webtoon was produced with the concept of a helper character in the game guiding game news. The episode "Gift Factory in Pengta Village" gained great popularity, receiving over 1,800 comments.

Kim Kwang-taek, head of Nexon's public relations office, said, "The reason content companies focus on webtoons is due to the expandability of webtoon IP," adding, "Since webtoons have a solid user base and ecosystem in Korea, new attempts that can create synergy will continue."

Com2uS recently also released a webtoon based on the IP of the mobile game "When You Get Bullied by the Bully." "When You Get Bullied by the Bully" is a romance simulation story game developed by Com2uS's subsidiary Day7, which gained attention for its solid story and unique illustrations. The newly released webtoon offers fans a different kind of enjoyment by adding a unique storytelling style exclusive to webtoons based on the original story. A Com2uS official said, "We believe we can provide another kind of enjoyment through the new platform of webtoons."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.