By Nam Hyun-woo
Nexon Foundation’s documentary film on Korea’s game developing history is grabbing the attention of cinema fans and gamers, as the documentary sheds new light on how the country’s game industry achieved its success from scratch in just three decades.
According to the foundation, it screened the documentary, titled “Save the Game,” during the Busan International Film Festival, which took place from Oct. 2 to 11.
It was the first time for the film festival to screen a documentary film focusing on video games, and the fresh attempt paid off, as all three showings at Lotte Cinema Centum City ended up selling out.
During a guest visit event on Oct. 5, a number of first-generation Korean game developers featured in the film attended and shared their reflections and emotions with the audience about their experiences developing games in a challenging environment.
“Save the Game” is part of a three-part documentary series that Nexon Foundation has been producing since September 2021 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Korean online gaming industry. It was directed by Park Yun-jin, who produced the 2020 movie “People in Elancia,” which portrays users who cannot leave Nexon’s 1999 game Elancia.
“Save the Game” is the first documentary to focus on the first generation of Korea’s game developers, tracing the history of Korean PC games from the 1980s to the present. It highlights the pioneers behind iconic games like Astonishia Story by Sonnori and The War of Genesis by Softmax, while exploring key events such as the rise of illegal game distribution and the rapid expansion of computer communications.
Nexon Foundation plans to reveal the second and third parts of the series this year. Part two will focus on the booming period of Korea’s online game industry, and part three will dive into Korea’s unique gaming culture.
Nexen Foundation said it initiated this project, recognizing the lack of content highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the domestic gaming industry, despite its remarkable growth over the past three decades.
“’Save the Game’ is the story of the games and their developers who laid the foundations for Korea’s gaming industry,” Nexon Foundation President Kim Jung-wook said. “We hope this documentary helps everyone take a look back on the significance of the early days of Korean games.”
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