Nexth will secure the remaining stake in OneStore to make it a wholly owned subsidiary and move to tie game distribution, payments and on-chain infrastructure into a single structure.

Nexth said on Sept. 29 it held a board meeting and approved a comprehensive share swap to bring OneStore in as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Nexth acquired an 89.03 percent stake in OneStore from SK Square and Naver in June. It then raised its stake to 95.88 percent this month by additionally securing shares held by KT and LG Uplus, and plans to acquire the remaining stake through the share swap.

After the move to a wholly owned subsidiary, the focus will be on combining OneStore's capabilities in app markets and digital content distribution with Nexth's AI and blockchain technology and payments infrastructure. Rather than operating game distribution, payments and on-chain functions separately, it aims to link them within a single platform structure.

OneStore launched 'OneStore Global' on Aug. 31 for 122 countries and secured more than 1,000 types of content. It is also broadening its game distribution base alongside expansion of overseas services.

It is also expanding service areas. In cooperation with Tencent, it introduced 'OnePlay', a mini-game service that can be played without installation, and in August it opened 'AI Games', a dedicated section for AI-created games.

AI Games will be renamed 'AI Game' next month and opened to all developers. The plan is to support individuals and small developers so they can register and distribute AI-made games on OneStore and monetise them.

Nexth plans to use OneStore's full incorporation as a wholly owned subsidiary as an opportunity to expand its global game platform business by connecting the app market with AI games and blockchain-based services.

Jang Hyun-kuk (장현국), Nexth's CEO, said, "OneStore is the central piece of the big puzzle of an AI and blockchain game platform." He added, "We will combine Nexth's AI and blockchain infrastructure with OneStore's app distribution and payments capabilities into one to complete a platform where global game distribution, payments and on-chain infrastructure are realised within a single structure."