The Slow Rise Of Konsoles

Before 2001, console gaming didn't quite exist in Korea. The government had taken baby steps to lift its long-standing ban on the sale of Japanese consoles. Console sales haven't ever been popular, but all three hardware makers seem invested in building on their foothold on the Peninsula. For consoles, this is a huge untapped market. Over at game site Gamasutra, Nick Rumas has a fascinating look at the country's console progress, standing with the official PS2 launch in late '01. Rumas writes:

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few years. While Microsoft seems like it's going to stay right where it is for the time being — in a solid position catering to the hardcore crowd - the real question at this time hovers around Sony and whether or not it's going to be able to repeat the success it had last generation with PS2. In the meantime, the newly formed Nintendo of Korea is riding high on the success of DS, and this is a streak it looks poised to continue with Wii.

Interesting stuff, and def. worth a read. Though, with a generation of gamers raised on PCs, I'm curious to see if and when consoles can catch up — not that Korean gamers think they need to, but still. Korea Consoles [Gamasutra]