Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This survey/review paper examines how structural change in the game industry was expressed at G-STAR 2025, the representative game exhibition of the Republic of Korea.The study focuses on exhibited titles and the strategic choices of participating companies.Four trends are analyzed: generative artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, cross-platform expansion, intellectual property (IP)-based ecosystem building, and the integration of indie games into publisher-led structures.Unlike prior studies that treat these trends separately or focus on visitor satisfaction, the present study reads the exhibition as a supply-side signal of industrial change.The study combines field observation with industry reports, academic literature, and news coverage.The analysis shows that G-STAR 2025 reflected a defensive industry logic.Participating firms sought to reduce uncertainty through resource reuse, platform extension, and already validated IP.At the same time, the exhibition revealed tensions around AI-related labor restructuring, platform integration, and creative autonomy.The study offers an exhibition-based framework for analyzing game industry trends in an integrated way.
Authors: Minuk Nam, Jun-Ho Huh
Institution: Korea Maritime and Ocean University
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7166649050
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