In this week's Free Zone, MMORPG.com columnist Richard Aihoshi examines what we can expect from this year's G-STAR gaming event in Korea.

It has been a while since I devoted a column to the state of the industry in Korea.  Recently, I've been casting my eye over there somewhat more than usual, mainly because G-STAR (Game Show & Trade, All-Round) will take place in a few weeks.  For anyone unfamiliar with this event, it's that country's key annual industry affair, combining a huge consumer exposition with a trade-only area.  The former is on a scale we don't see here in North America; last year's total attendance for four days was more than 280,000. 

Read more of Richard Aihoshi's Free Zone: Looking Ahead to G-STAR.

According to rumors the closed beta of GW2 will have started when G-Star begins so maybe there will be something special there, who knows?

Weird, I always thought G-STAR were pants...

I"m always interested in what Jake Song is doing.  Did you say he might be teaming up with NCSoft again on an undisclosed project?  I thought he was primarily behind ArchAge.

Keep us posted.

Wow someone on MMORPG giving the eastern market and the Koreans some column space. You have my respect

Originally posted by Durray

Wow someone on MMORPG giving the eastern market and the Koreans some column space. You have my respect

 

Richard's been writing his Free Zone column since before I even started here over two years ago! :P

Originally posted by MikeB

Originally posted by Durray

Wow someone on MMORPG giving the eastern market and the Koreans some column space. You have my respect

 

Richard's been writing his Free Zone column since before I even started here over two years ago! :P

 

Unfortunately for Mr.Aihoshi he's one of the LEAST respected columnists on this entire site. He constantly puts down & insults people who quite simply don't like F2P, and then goes on rants about how it's OUR short sightedness & ignorance that keeps us from liking F2P.

Sorry, but this ENTIRE post by Mr.Aihoshi is just going to be seen as yet ANOTHER paid posting for him to support the Korean gaming market =|

I'm still confused as to why he's still a column writer for the site as he's broken more rules than most trolls do in a single week =(.

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

Originally posted by MikeB

Originally posted by Durray

Wow someone on MMORPG giving the eastern market and the Koreans some column space. You have my respect

 

Richard's been writing his Free Zone column since before I even started here over two years ago! :P

 

Unfortunately for Mr.Aihoshi he's one of the LEAST respected columnists on this entire site. He constantly puts down & insults people who quite simply don't like F2P, and then goes on rants about how it's OUR short sightedness & ignorance that keeps us from liking F2P.

 

Sorry, but this ENTIRE post by Mr.Aihoshi is just going to be seen as yet ANOTHER paid posting for him to support the Korean gaming market =|

 

I'm still confused as to why he's still a column writer for the site as he's broken more rules than most trolls do in a single week =(.

Now, now. I am a fan of Eastern MMO's I must confess (in case my avatar didn't give that away), but I fall into a rare category. Namely that I love P2P eastern games. Hence I look towards certain big South Korean/Japenes companies that can deliver on this for me. Not that I am anti- F2P like some I just don't think serious PvP and F2P mix too well.

It is also extremely ignorant of us to assume that we as westerns are the market leaders, heads of innovation etc etc 

Quite frankly the (developed) Eastern market and gaming culture make us look exceptional juvenile at times. And this holier then though attitude that many people (not saying you do) adopt is laughable.  We play catch up them as much as they do to us.

I endured numerous articles and forum posts about american conventions that frankly i don't give a damn about (I am English) so why not talk about G-star truly a massive convention? Must it be Blizzard this and PAX that. Can we not except that as MMO fans a truly colossal portion of the market and devs are from the east? And that ignoring them is to wallow in your own naiviety? 

Not being personal here, just venting in general at how the community on this site annoy me at times.

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

Originally posted by MikeB

Richard's been writing his Free Zone column since before I even started here over two years ago! :P

Unfortunately for Mr.Aihoshi he's one of the LEAST respected columnists on this entire site. He constantly puts down & insults people who quite simply don't like F2P, and then goes on rants about how it's OUR short sightedness & ignorance that keeps us from liking F2P.

Sorry, but this ENTIRE post by Mr.Aihoshi is just going to be seen as yet ANOTHER paid posting for him to support the Korean gaming market =|

I'm still confused as to why he's still a column writer for the site as he's broken more rules than most trolls do in a single week =(.

You really should just speak for yourself.  You may not like or respect him, but you certainly don't speak for me.  I don't always like or agree with what he says, but I do like his column and that he covers something other than the top three games on the hype meter.

I'm also a pretty big fan of P2P Korean games.  My first game was Lineage and I still consider it one of the best games I've ever played.  It also had ZERO micro-transactions (paids xpacs, pre-order bonuses, collector's editions, cash shop, etc), something no Western game I've played has lived up to.  My $15/mo in that game included it all.  I'm looking forward to what Blade and Soul will offer if it ever makes it to the Western market.  Korean developers, as a whole, tend to offer a lot more innovation than most Western and Japanese developers.

I do agree with one thing though.  You are confused.

No mention of Mabinogi 2? Fail article.

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Fadedbomb

Originally posted by MikeB

Richard's been writing his Free Zone column since before I even started here over two years ago! :P

Unfortunately for Mr.Aihoshi he's one of the LEAST respected columnists on this entire site. He constantly puts down & insults people who quite simply don't like F2P, and then goes on rants about how it's OUR short sightedness & ignorance that keeps us from liking F2P.

Sorry, but this ENTIRE post by Mr.Aihoshi is just going to be seen as yet ANOTHER paid posting for him to support the Korean gaming market =|

I'm still confused as to why he's still a column writer for the site as he's broken more rules than most trolls do in a single week =(.

You really should just speak for yourself.  You may not like or respect him, but you certainly don't speak for me.  I don't always like or agree with what he says, but I do like his column and that he covers something other than the top three games on the hype meter.

 

I'm also a pretty big fan of P2P Korean games.  My first game was Lineage and I still consider it one of the best games I've ever played.  It also had ZERO micro-transactions (paids xpacs, pre-order bonuses, collector's editions, cash shop, etc), something no Western game I've played has lived up to.  My $15/mo in that game included it all.  I'm looking forward to what Blade and Soul will offer if it ever makes it to the Western market.  Korean developers, as a whole, tend to offer a lot more innovation than most Western and Japanese developers.

 

I do agree with one thing though.  You are confused.

 

Unfortunately you are in the minority. Look back at EVERY almost every single one of Mr.Aihoshi's columns. They are FILLED with angry posters, and his arrogance in his posts just breaths "If you don't like PayToWin games, you're beneath me". I'm sorry that you're confused :(. The MAJORITY do, in fact, dislike Mr.Aihoshi.