[DigitalToday reporter Hojeong Lee (이호정)] Korean game companies' push into consoles is evolving beyond simply adding another platform into a shift in business strategy. Existing hits are expanding user touchpoints through new console devices, while new titles are being developed from an early stage with both PC and consoles in mind.

The backdrop is structural change in the mobile market. Slower inflows of new users, concentration in certain genres and reliance on domestic sales are lowering the ceiling for growth. Consoles, by contrast, have a structure that extends from initial sales to downloadable content (DLC), bundles, physical packages, merchandise and sequels. For global users in North America, Europe and Japan, a single intellectual property (IP) can be sold longer and more broadly.

◆Hit games' choice: extending IP life through platform expansion

A representative example is Shift Up's "Stellar Blade". The action-adventure game launched on PS5 in April 2024. It later expanded to PC, and it has now confirmed a Switch 2 version for release within the year through Nintendo Direct 2026.

The decision is reflected in its performance. Shift Up said in its first-quarter earnings release this year that sales of "Stellar Blade" were 12.9 billion won, down 24.9 percent from the previous quarter. The company also foreshadowed at the time that it would "actively review promotions and additional platform expansion for long-term sales management". The Switch 2 move puts that strategy into action. It is an attempt to regain sales momentum by opening up a new customer base that does not overlap with existing PS5 and PC users.

Packaged games often see revenue concentrated right after launch, with sales slowing over time. By expanding platforms in stages, the same IP can be reintroduced to the market multiple times, and it can also be expected to help maintain awareness until a sequel is released.

Neowiz's "Lies of P" follows the same trend. After its launch in September 2023, it enjoyed successive hits through the June 2025 DLC "Overture" and surpassed cumulative sales of 4 million copies. A "Complete Edition" bundling the main game and the DLC will be released on Switch 2 on Aug. 6. It is priced at 69,800 won, and Nintendo eShop is taking pre-orders. The DLC "Overture" earned scores of 85 on Metacritic and 86 on OpenCritic, with its completeness recognized as exceeding the base game, and it won the Best Expansion category at the New York Game Awards in the United States.

Neowiz is also collaborating with global merchandising company iam8bit to offer a goods lineup including a physical package and handmade marionette dolls. Set for a global official release on Oct. 2, the approach of adding a physical package and goods to a digital bundle is being read as a move to grow the IP into a brand.

◆New titles designed with consoles in mind from the start

Unlike adding platforms for existing hits, new titles are being designed from the development stage on the premise of multiplatform releases.

Line Games' "Ember and Blade" will launch on PS5 in addition to Steam and the Epic Games Store. It plans to unveil an early access version to global markets in the second half of this year and make an official release in the first half of next year.

Netmarble's "Evilvane" is also in development as a third-person cooperative action game for PC and consoles. It highlights Unreal Engine 5-based graphics and real-time weapon-switching combat. It has been publishing developer notes monthly since April and gathering community feedback. It is currently preparing for an alpha test.

Both games are making pre-launch demos, early access and community engagement central pillars of their success strategies. That is the console market's playbook, different from mobile's approach of large-scale marketing after launch.

Moving into consoles does not guarantee success. Optimisation and localisation for each platform, along with rising development costs, are burden factors. Even so, the achievements built by "Stellar Blade" and "Lies of P" in global markets are prompting investment decisions by major companies that previously kept their distance from consoles.

An industry official said, "In the past, the structure was to enter overseas markets after domestic success, but now there are many cases where games are designed with global users in mind from the development's early stages." The official added, "As big projects based on consoles and PC increase, platform choice itself has become a key variable that determines an IP's lifespan and profit structure."