KRAFTON India Unveils Plans to Support Local Game Developers Via "Incubation Programs"

KRAFTON India is expanding its support for Indian game developers through various incubation programs, as revealed by CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn in a recent interview with IGN India.

The company has already expanded its game developers incubator program, KIGI, now supporting six teams compared to the previous four. According to Sohn, KRAFTON is placing greater emphasis on mobile game development this year, shifting focus from PC and console projects that dominated earlier rounds.

"We have more applicants this time, and we put more focus on the mobile side," Sohn explained during the interview. "We used to have a larger portion from PC and console, but now more on mobile."

When selecting developers for the incubation program, KRAFTON looks for three key qualities. First, teams must have a playable build to demonstrate core gameplay mechanics. Second, they need to function effectively as a team and show growth potential. Finally, developers should be open to mentorship.

"Some teams feel they're good enough and just need financial support, but we want more interactive relationship building through this," Sohn noted. "They should be open to mentorship and advice."

In addition to KIGI, which is dedicated solely to Indian developers, the company manages another fund called Blue Ocean, which has a wider scope. KIGI provides direct support through mentorship and technical aid, whereas Blue Ocean functions more like a conventional investment fund.

KRAFTON has committed approximately $30 million to the Blue Ocean fund, which aims to support more than 20 teams with high potential worldwide, with India being one of the major focus regions.

Regarding BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India), the company's flagship game in the Indian market, Sohn described recent performance as "good" though not "record-breaking." He mentioned that after being available for several years, the game shows stable but steady growth rather than dramatic increases.

"As per company policy, we don't announce country-specific revenue," Sohn stated. However, he did reveal that "India is within the top five in terms of revenue contribution" and likely "within the top three" for daily active users.

Looking ahead, KRAFTON India plans to build deeper development capabilities within the country. "Going forward, we want to build more depth capacity within the country so that we can make games for the Indian market but also export them or make those games available for global audiences," Sohn explained.

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