This Week In Korean Online Gaming News: From e-Stars Seoul To Knight Online

[Gamasutra rounds up the week's biggest reports on South Korea's booming online games market from This Is Game, the leading English-language site about the country's game industry.] In our latest round-up of news from South Korea's online games space, we look at Knight Online launching in 30 European countries, YNK adding Mobile-OTP support in Seal Online, and e-stars Seoul 2011. Knight Online Coming To 30 European Countries Mgame and Noah System's Knight Online, a fantasy-themed free-to-play MMORPG, will be available in 30 European countries, including France, Germany, England, and Italy, operated by local publisher Game Cafe Service. The game debuted in Korea in 2003, and has since appeared in North America, Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey. Game Cafe Service will launch Knight Online's English edition in Q4 of this year, followed by German, Italian, and French versions. "The European gaming market has grown by more than 400 percent in the last five years, and we are expecting more growth in the market in the future as well," said SeungHoon Choi, director of Mgame's Overseas Business Development. Choi continued, "With our decade of experience in servicing the game at home and abroad stably, we will cooperate with our local partner for a successful launch in Europe." YNK Games Adds Mobile-OTP Support For Seal Online Developer YNK Games, a subsidiary of publisher YNK Korea (which operates California-based YNK Interactive), has implemented support for Mobile One-Time Password, or M-OTP, in its free-to-play MMORG Seal Online. M-OTP is designed to offer more security to accounts -- users must input a temporary password generated on registered mobile phones before logging into a game. As an incentive, YNK is offering in-game currency to players who use the service. YNK Korea's director of Local Business Development SangHong Min said the company implemented this feature because it considers customers personal information very important -- as important as updating the game's content. 3,000 Attend e-stars Seoul 2011 Digital Culture Festival Annual digital culture festival e-Stars Seoul 2011 hosted some 3,000 visitors last week. The three-day expo hosts a LAN party full of experimental programs for attendees to play, and tournaments for games like Soldier of Fortune Online and GetAmped. The event is organized by Seoul City and local newspaper JoongAng Daily, and is co-managed by Seoul Business Agency and cultural enterprise of JoongAng Daily. All of the tournament matches were aired via Korea's cable TV channel OnGameNet. "e-stars Seoul is now truly a global culture festival for international gamers and Seoul citizens," said Seungil Ahn, one of the members of the city's Culture and Tourism planning staff, during his opening address. [This story was written with the permission of, and using material from ThisIsGame Global, the leading English-language site about the South Korean game industry.]