Netmarble, a popular Korean game developer known for creating the Lineage series and Solo Leveling: Arise, has opened a new game museum at its headquarters in southern Seoul.
Gaming plays a crucial role in Korea’s cultural exports. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, games made up 58% of the country’s cultural exports in the first half of 2024. This is significantly more than K-pop, which accounted for only 12% of cultural exports during the same period.
Despite the gaming industry’s importance in Korea, there have been few places where people can learn about its history and development through public exhibitions. “Our game museum is designed to present the history of games and help raise their social and cultural value,” Netmarble Director Kim Sung-cheol stated during Tuesday’s media tour (via Korea Herald).
The museum aims to appeal to everyone from children to adults who grew up with earlier gaming systems. It houses 2,100 items that show how games have evolved over time.
The displays highlight national as well as famous international games that were brought to Korea, such as Sonic the Hedgehog from Sega and Nintendo’s Super Mario.
Visitors can also get to see early gaming consoles, software, and accessories that were popular during gaming’s early years. “We included items from our collection that might be appreciated by game enthusiasts, even if they are not necessarily landmark products in gaming history,” said Netmarble’s museum team.
The separate section allows visitors to play classic console and arcade games from the 1980s through the 2000s. The museum also features interactive sections that teach visitors about Korea’s game industry.
Netmarble plans to continue growing its collection and adding more interactive experiences for visitors.
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