Neptune said on Wednesday it is moving ahead in earnest with a "hybrid casual game publishing" business, one of its new ventures.

Neptune has finalised a standalone brand name for the hybrid casual game publishing business as "Flick". It said the name carries the meaning of maximising game value by adding publisher support to developers' ideas. Neptune plans to roll out its publishing business under the brand.

The first project is a "global hybrid casual game contest" being prepared jointly with parent company Krafton. It will target global developers and indie game studios.

The contest is set to include awards for winning entries and a publishing support programme. An official website for the contest has also opened. The website includes detailed information such as an overview of the contest and the Flick publishing brand, and judging criteria.

Neptune plans to use the contest to discover competitive intellectual property (IP) in the global market and, through cooperation with Krafton, strengthen its global distribution capabilities.

A Neptune official said, "This contest, which we are preparing jointly with Krafton, is the starting signal for expanding strategic investment in the hybrid casual genre." The official added, "We will build a sustainable publishing pipeline, not a one-off event."