An adventurer returns to the Joseon era and explores the capital, Hanyang. Centered on Gyeongbokgung Palace, the grand palaces including Gwanghwamun, Gyeonghoeru and Changdeokgung stand out, and the Hanyang Yukjo Street and other features are vividly recreated in front of them. Inside Geunjeongjeon at Gyeongbokgung, where access is restricted, visitors can also move freely. The adventurer undertakes quests inspired by Korean folktales and legends such as Janghwa and Hongryeon and Cheoyong. This is Pearl Abyss's massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Black Desert's "Land of Morning: Seoul" story.
Industry insiders said game companies are actively promoting Korea. Traditional Korean culture and famous sites appear as game settings, and related tourism products are being planned, while companies are taking the lead in publicizing and protecting cultural heritage. With K-content such as K-pop Demon Hunters and Squid Game recently receiving global attention, companies are engaging in marketing that uses cultural heritage.
Pearl Abyss vividly recreated Joseon-era attractions and adapted traditional folktales into the game through Black Desert's Land of Morning. Land of Morning is a region located in the northwest of the world map within Black Desert, and it implements attractions such as Cheonghae Port in Wando, Jeollanam-do, and Haedong Yonggungsa in Busan as Nampo Port and Byeokgye Island, respectively. Pearl Abyss last August released Seoul as the final installment of Land of Morning content, depicting Hanyang's palaces and Yukjo Street.
Further, Pearl Abyss in March worked with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) to introduce tourism products for foreigners linked to Black Desert's Land of Morning. These products explore major settings within Land of Morning, which is inspired by the Joseon era. The courses are ▲Seoul (Gyeongbokgung, Korean Folk Village, etc.) ▲Nampo gateway (Sangdangsanseong in Cheongju, Beopjusa in Boeun, etc.) ▲Nobsae (Suwon Hwaseong, Wonmi Mountain in Bucheon, etc.) ▲Dalbyeol (Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul, Gamaksan in Paju, etc.). Tour participants were able to hear immersive explanations matching the game's theme.
NEOWIZ is also using historical content within its games. In P's Lie, the Twin Dragon Sword, presumed to be a weapon used by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, appeared and drew attention. The downloadable content (DLC) also introduced King Taejo Yi Seong-gye's bow, eogungu. NEOWIZ's 2023 release Sannabi combines science fiction elements with a Joseon-era concept, allowing players to see Joseon-era customs such as Korean orthography and the sexagenary cycle. The game received recognition for its quality, earning a 97% positive user review on Steam.
Game companies are also promoting Korea through cultural heritage protection and publicity. Last year Nexon signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Heritage Agency (KHA) and used Nexon game intellectual property (IP) to exhibit traditional crafts. Nexon's popular games such as The Kingdom of the Winds, MapleStory and Mabinogi were turned into crafts. NCSOFT also signed an MOU with the Gyeongbuk Research Institute in 2023 for "digital restoration of the thousand-year Silla royal capital." Through this, it is supporting the production of digital content utilizing Silla-era cultural properties and digital scanning technology.
An industry official said that for game companies to publicize cultural properties and cultural heritage to create the perception that "games are also a culture" could have a positive effect across the industry, and that with many games being developed based on Korea's history, such as the Joseon era, global interest in Korea's cultural heritage is growing.
Global game companies are also promoting their countries by incorporating culture and history into game settings. In China, Black Myth: Wukong, released last year, uses 36 scenic spots within China, including Shaanxi province, as background motifs in the game. As Wukong gained worldwide popularity, reports say visits to Shaanxi increased. According to the Chinese Pengpai News, travel bookings to Datong and Shuozhou in Shaanxi province more than doubled year on year last year. In the United States, the PlayStation 5 game Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set in New York, and Ubisoft's racing game Motorfest is set on Oahu, Hawaii.